Work experience

Work experience is defined as ‘a placement on an employer’s premises in which a learner carries out a particular task or duty, or a range of tasks or duties, more or less, as would an employee, but with an emphasis on the learning aspects of the work experience’ (DfES, 2002).

Work experience is a valuable way in which young people can find out what work is like while they are still at school. It means that they spend time in a placement doing real work for a real employer in a real organisation. While they are on their placement they will:

be treated like adults
work closely with adults
behave in a safe and responsible way
find out what they are good at
learn new skills
collect evidence to show off their new skills

Suitable work placements are not easy to find and it is not possible for young people under 16 years of age to do some jobs. The school will be very interested in possible employers that you know who may be able to help, but you would need to let them know well in advance for the necessary checks to be carried out.

Your son/daughter may get very tired working as an adult for the first time and will need your support.

Enterprise education

Enterprise education can help raise aspirations and develop valuable skills for both higher education and employment.

Enterprise Education involves the development of Enterprise capability - the ability to handle uncertainty and respond positively to change, to create and implement new ideas and ways of doing things, to make reasonable risk/reward assessments and act upon them in one's personal and working life. Enterprise capability can also be described as: innovation, creativity, risk-management, and a 'can-do' attitude and the drive to make ideas happen (DfES 2005)

Enterprise capability is supported by:

Financial capability - the ability to manage one's own finances and to become questioning and informed consumers of financial services; and
Business and economic understanding - the ability to understand the business context and make informed choices between alternative uses of scarce resources

Enterprise, in the broadest sense, means making an idea happen. Whether it be at work, at school or in the wider community. It's about equipping young people with the attitude and skills that will be important to them throughout their lives.

Enterprise skills include: