 The
most Frequently Asked Questions
(and an attempt at some concise answers)
Q: Is work experience compulsory?
A: No
it is not compulsory. However, Ofsted will evaluate the opportunities
young people
have to learn ‘about work’, ‘through work’ and ‘for work’. Work Experience is
a planned activity that can demonstrate clearly these active learning
experiences. The Education Act 1977 (Clause 43) also places a duty
on schools and education support centres to provide a programme
of CEG to students in Years 9-11. Career exploration, self-development
and career management are the three elements of this programme – all
of which can be developed for KS4 students through participation
in work experience.
Q: Is work experience compulsory?
A: No it is not compulsory. However,
Ofsted will evaluate the opportunities young people have to learn
‘about work’, ‘through work’ and ‘for work’. Work Experience is
a planned activity that can demonstrate clearly these active learning
experiences. The Education Act 1977 (Clause 43) also places a duty
on schools and education support centres to provide a programme
of CEG to students in Years 9-11. Career exploration, self-development
and career management are the three elements of this programme –
all of which can be developed for KS4 students through participation
in work experience.
Q: Is work experience going to
be dropped in Hertfordshire?
A: No. We are working on a review
and implementation plan to modernise and improve the service. This
is being done in consultation with the LEA, Herts Learning and Skills
Council, the Connexions Service, employers and training providers,
schools and colleges, and other educational institutions.
Q: Is there a minimum/maximum period
of work experience?
A: No. The DfEE recommendation
is that each pupil should have a minimum of 10 days in total throughout
KS4.
Q: When can work experience take
place?
A: At any time in the last
two years of compulsory education ie any time from the Autumn term
of Year 10 through to the Summer term of Year 11. (See Section 560
of the Education Act 1996, Section 112 of the Standards and Framework
Act 1998 and the LEA guidelines)
Q: What form can work experience
take?
A: The recommendation is
that each young person has the opportunity to take part in:
- Work experience on an employer’s premises
- Workshadowing
- Work simulation with a training provider or on educational premises
- Voluntary work in the community
- Paid part-time work cannot be included.
Hertfordshire
Careers Services Ltd (HCS)
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Q: Can HCS deliver work experience
placements?
A: Yes. We acknowledge
that we have had problems with delivery due to a variety of external
factors, which have had an impact at national level, not just
in Hertfordshire. The influence of these factors has led to a
backlog of work, which we are finding difficult to catch up with
this term. We have now restructured the Work Experience Services
team within HCS to focus more on the needs of the schools and
young people. Resources have been increased with the integration
of Herts Education Business Partnership with the Careers Service.
The Curriculum Development team has also been restructured to
support schools and the Work Experience Services team and ensure
that work experience is seen as an important work-related learning
activity and part of the CEG programme.
Q: Can schools go to another
supplier for work experience?
A: Yes. The LEA recommend
that maintained schools in Hertfordshire use the services of HCS
Ltd as the preferred supplier. If a school chooses to make its
own arrangements for work experience the Governors are required
to inform the LEA in writing with details of the arrangements
before any placement can be made by the school. Where this option
is chosen the LEA has a responsibility to ensure the school is
meeting its statutory duty of care.
Q: Can we receive work experience
placements from HCS on the Internet?
A: Currently, no. This
is being developed and we are setting up a pilot in the next academic
year. HCS will be inviting schools to be involved in a pilot to
assess the potential to use ICT and not paper.
Q: Are there enough employers
to meet the demand for placements?
A: It has become very
difficult for employers when 80% of
schools in some parts of the County choose weeks in the Summer
term of Year 10 to run their work experience programmes. We positively
invite schools to consider running their work experience programme
in the Spring or Autumn terms. Support is available to rewrite
the aims and learning outcomes for the young people especially
if an earlier date in Year 10 is being considered. With the increase
in demand for extended work experience placements some employers
are unable to subscribe to the co-ordinated block scheme as well.
Q: Why was a co-ordinated scheme
set up in Hertfordshire?
A: This was at the request
of the employers who were receiving many individual requests,
which they could not handle. The introduction of stringent rules
and regulations regarding health and safety and risk assessment
also supports a co-ordinated scheme rather than individual ones.
Q: Who is responsible for arranging
work experience?
A: The school.
Q: Who arranges the placements?
A: In Hertfordshire,
the Work Experience team (part of the Employment and Training
Services team) in Herts Careers Services Ltd arranges the placements
on behalf of the schools.
Q: Can schools arrange their
own placements?
A: Yes, as long as they
fulfil the legal and health and safety requirements. The LEA and
HCS are not expecting, or recommending that schools arrange to
carry out their own health and safety checks.
Q: What is the LEA’s responsibility
with regard to work experience?
A: The LEA is delegating
responsibility for work experience to schools and consequently
schools must put in place the necessary arrangements to deal with
this, otherwise the delegation will be withdrawn. The LEA will
be responsible for monitoring schools to ensure that they have
these arrangements in place.
Q: What was the issue with regard
to Health and Safety?
A: Following an accident
to an employee in a company where we had placed two work experience
students concern was raised by one of the parents to the Health
and Safety Executive (HSE). The HSE are carrying out an investigation
into our use of some high-risk placements. No one can argue with
the fact that Health and Safety issues are paramount for the protection
and safety of young people, staff in schools and the school governing
bodies. HCS took the decision to withdraw all high risk placements
and revisit the criteria for assessing these. This is a one-off
task but is a long-drawn out process over which we have no control.
We regret the effect this has had on so many schools, individual
young people and their parents/ guardians/carers this term but
our aim is to have the scheme back on track from September.
Q: Are the problems encountered
with work experience confined to Hertfordshire?
A: No. Other organisers
that we are working with are facing similar problems with the
quantity and quality of placements and with the health and safety
checks. Members of the Eastern Region work experience network
group, (currently chaired by the Trident Trust) have written to
the HSE expressing concerns about the difficulties with regard
to Health and Safety.
Q: What are the legal requirements?
A: Statutory duty of care
for young people (See DfEE guidelines and Children’s Act 1989)
Specific duty regarding Health and Safety and young people under
16, Section 3 of the Health and Safety Act 1974.
Q: What are the health and safety
requirements?
A: Health and Safety qualifications
are a contractual requirement and must be a nationally recognised
award. Only those professionals who hold an appropriate qualification
should carry out the Health and Safety checks on behalf of a school.
These qualifications could include:
- Level 3 Advanced Health and Safety Certificate – 40 hours
plus assignments and exam.
- Level 2 Supervising Health and Safety – 18 hours plus assignment
and exam
- Level 2 Risk Assessment and Procedures – 7 hours plus assignments
and exam
- These qualifications are offered by the Chartered Institute
of Environmental Health.
Q: Can I get my own teachers
trained on Health and Safety?
A: Yes. In a pilot scheme
two years ago, HCS/Herts TEC funded three
teachers to be trained. With their curriculum commitments they
made little use of this training and are no longer qualified to
vet placements as ongoing training is required.
Q: Is it recommended that teachers
become involved in this training?
A: No. With the current
recruitment and retention crisis, schools need to assess whether
or not they can afford to release and pay for a member of staff
to undertake the training, plus support ongoing assessment and
days of placement vetting. On average half a day needs to allocated
for each placement. It is likely that additional time would also
need to be allowed for administrative procedures (including keeping
accurate and detailed records of all health and safety visits
carried out) and constant updating on the legislation.
Q: Is health and safety and risk
assessment the same thing?
A: No. Health and safety
assessment is where we assess a company’s compliance with the
law. This could include everything from checking that they have
a written health and safety policy to checking that they have
employer’s liability insurance.
Risk assessment is where every aspect of the activities in which
the young people will be involved is assessed.
Q: What is risk-banding?
A: This is a method we
use to decide how often a company would require a revisit. High
being annually, medium is bi-annually and low is every four years.
Q: Why do health and safety checks
take so long?
A: In order to ensure the
safety of students vetting needs to be thorough and documentary
evidence must be produced by the employer. Follow-up action might
be required and a return visit made to the employer is they do
not meet the contractual arrangements on the first visit.
Q: Do these arrangements apply
to independent schools?
A: The legal responsibilities
of independent schools regarding duty of care and health and safety
are the same as the maintained sector. Independent schools need
to contract on an individual basis with Herts Careers Services
Ltd to provide the placements.
Q: Who is responsible for funding
work experience?
A: The school receives
dedicated funding (£17 per student) from the LEA. This is not
earmarked funding.
Q: Is there any other funding?
A: Yes, the Learning
and Skills Council has a direct contract with Hertfordshire Careers
Services providing matched funding in the form of a block grant.
Q: Why does the Learning and
Skills Council give the funding to Hertfordshire Careers Services
and not to each individual school?
A: It is more cost effective
and coherent to monitor, review and evaluate the work of one organisation
rather than 80 different schools.
Q: Can the funding be used to
support extended work experience at KS4?
A: Yes, as long as it
is part of a work related learning programme with appropriate
preparation, monitoring, and evaluation to meet the needs of individual
young people.
Q: Why do schools have to pay
for placements that teachers/parents have found?
A: An average cost is
set for vetting the placements. Some would cost considerably more
if we did not do this. The cost structure will be considered as
part of the review.
Q: Why do out-of-county placements
cost more to vet?
A: HCS has to pay a sub-contracting
fee to the other organisations to vet the placements. We incur
additional administrative and travel costs.
Q: What is the context for work
experience within the curriculum?
A: Work experience needs
to be part of a coherent curriculum programme. It should be a
learning experience for young people which meets individually
identified needs and has specific and recorded learning outcomes.
Q: Can work experience be accredited?
A: Yes. As from September
2001 accreditation at entry level and levels 1 and 2 will be available.
The qualifications available will be listed in the June 2001 update
of Section 96, which sets out the approved qualifications for
the use of students in maintained schools, students in secondary
and further education and work-based training under the age of
19. Accreditation for work experience should not stand-alone but
form part of accrediting the wider curriculum eg key skills, CEG
and work-related learning.
Guidance on the use of these qualifications can be found on the
QCA website at:
Q: Why should schools include
an understanding of LMI in their preparation programme for work
experience?
A: Young people and parents
need to appreciate the types of occupational areas available and
the number of possible placements.
Q: Who can help by providing
support and information? What support can they give?
A: Hertfordshire
Careers Servcies Ltd
- Education and Information Services Manager
Mary Hurlstone
Tel: 01992 588771 or Tel:01727 847052
Email: m.hurlstone@hcs.hertfordshire-community.org.uk
Consultancy, training and advice on policy, programme and professional
development for careers information, education and guidance
- Work Experience Team Leader
Anne Barker
Tel: 01707 283900
Email: a.barker@hcs.hertfordshire-community.org.uk
Leading the work of the operations team across the County
- Employment and Training Services Manager
Jeremy Cannon
Tel: 01707 283900
Email: j.cannon@hcs.hertfordshire-community.org.uk
Managing HCS’s work with employers oversight of work
experience, placing of young people into employment and training
A: LEA
- County Adviser for Work-related Learning
Mike Connolly
Tel: 01582 830346
Email: mike.connolly@hertscc.gov.uk
Consultancy and advice on the development of work-related learning
programmes including work experience
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