Work experience is a major part of your Transition Year. The responsibility to secure work placement lies with the individual student to acquire their own placement. Applications should be made as early as possible to secure placements.
Duration:
Work experience takes place each Friday during the academic term. Where possible, students are encouraged to find placements in work related to the career in which they have a special interest. It is the responsibility of each student to make his own application and to find their own work experience placement as this is an essential element of preparation for the world of work. Students are not paid for work experience.
Attendance:
Students must attend at work experience on each designated day. If unable to attend the student must notify the employer as soon as possible and also present a written explanation to the school for the absence.
Punctuality:
Students should aim to always be punctual for their work experience and this means that students should arrive five minutes before the appointed time. If the student is going to be late, the student must notify the employer of this as soon as possible
Monitoring:
Students are monitored by the school and assessed by the employer. After each day of work experience students are required to update your work experience journal supplied by the school Counsellor .It is imperative that this is accurately and diligently completed as it is the mechanism which assesses what you have learned from your work experience. This journal must be shared with your TY Co-ordinator.
Block Work Placements:
Week Placements In some limited instances employers may only be able to offer a block week of work experience. Where these placements are of a high value to the students career choices the student may apply to the TY coordinator for permission to be released for this week. An application form is available from the Co-ordinator and must be submitted a minimum of one weeks prior to the commencement of the placement.
Insurance:
While on work placement it will be important to your employer to know that you are covered by St. Mel’s College insurance policy. A copy of our insurance policy indemnity is included in the Employers Handbook and to download on our school website. Should your employer request a specific letter of insurance in which you are personally named, these are available
on application to the TY Co-ordinator. Two weeks’ notice is required to ensure insurance letters are received in good time.
Contact Details:
Each student will provide the employer with the Student Personal Details form. This form provides details of the student’s name, address, parent/guardian contact details, and the school contact details.
Dress Code:
Students must comply with the dress code of the work placement. In addition to compliance with the employment placement dress code, students must be neat and tidy.
This policy was ratified by the Board of Management on 5 th March 2018.
Signed Mr Conal Gibbons Chairperson of BOM