Work experience is an opportunity to introduce young people to the reality of working life. The experience they get during their work placement can help them develop practical insight and skills to help them secure and sustain future employment.

By taking students on work experience, employers get an opportunity to engage, inspire, and inform young people about what working life is really like. 

Benefits of providing work experience for employers

Offering work experience can bring a number of benefits to you as an employer:

Promotes your company profile

Establishing your business as an employer that offers young people work experience opportunities will build a positive image of your company and one that people easily recognise.

Contribute to your corporate and social responsibility (CSR)

Providing work experience opportunities will contribute to your CSR duty. This will be seen favourably by customers, suppliers, and the wider community.

Better connection with your community

By offering work experience opportunities to local schools and education providers you can add value to and make meaningful connections with your community.

Find new talent

Work experience programmes are a great way to tap into new talent as young people seek jobs following full-time education. Having an established connection with young people gives you a competitive edge over those employers that don’t offer work experience placements. You will also get insight into what potential recruits look for in an employer as generations evolve.

Skills development

Involving your employees in the work experience placement and providing potential management opportunities can help your staff develop their supervisory and managerial skills. This will help staff feel motivated and invested in your business helping to contribute to staff retention.

Get additional help at no cost

Employers are not obligated to pay for work experience placements, so you have the opportunity to get additional help at no extra cost. This can be beneficial to both you and the work experience placement, for example, if you have a large project that requires additional resources. This also offers the opportunity to provide an enriched experience for the placement student.

Innovation and new ideas

Young people often bring fresh ideas and approaches which may open up new opportunities for your business. They may also be able to inject some innovation into your business and offer alternative solutions to challenges.

Promoting diversity

By offering work experience placements to young people from various backgrounds you will promote diversity in your workplace.

Gain a competitive edge

By establishing a relationship with local education providers and being viewed as an employer that provides young people with opportunities you will have a significant advantage over your competitors especially when it comes to recruitment.

Work experience benefits for young people

There are a number of benefits that work experience placements can offer young people:

Skills development

Work experience gives young people the opportunity to develop skills essential for working life such as time management, teamwork, business etiquette, communication, and problem-solving.

Career path

Young people can get an insight into what is required to work in certain industries when they take up a work experience placement. It will help them decide what career path to follow.

Personal development

Work experience helps young people build transferrable skills that they will be able to use in other jobs. They will also gain confidence by taking on a new challenge.

Connections

Work experience provides young people with the opportunity to connect with local companies and meet new people who can help them on their career path.

Insight into recruitment

Applying for a work placement provides the opportunity to learn about recruitment processes eg how to apply for a job, prepare for job interviews, and build a CV

There are various ways that you can advertise or source work experience opportunities.

Alternatively, you may wish to use one of the following organisations to manage work experience opportunities on your behalf. These organisations provide a brokerage service to support employers and school career teachers in arranging work experience placements for post-primary students.

Speakers for School

You can host work experience opportunities through Speakers for School. They can help you advertise your opportunities and connect you with suitable work experience candidates.

Offer work experience opportunities with Speakers for School.

Business in the Community Work Inspiration

Business in the Community Work Inspiration is a national, employer-led campaign that aims to make work experience more meaningful, relevant, and inspiring for young people.

Schools and colleges

A number of schools and colleges encourage young people to find their own placement. However, there are occasions when careers teachers will source placements for the students.

Some schools and colleges have also developed partnerships with local employers. You could get in contact with schools in your area to see if you could establish a partnership for work experience.

Contact your local Education Authority office.

Arranging work experience

Issues to consider when thinking of taking part in work experience include:

• Duration of placement - most schools and colleges prefer a five-day block placement, however, some may be open to three or four-day placements.
• Age of students - most students go on work experience in year 12 (age 15-16 years old) and/or year 13 (age 16-17 years old) or year 14 (age 17-18 years old).
• You do not have to pay students on work experience a wage.

There are ways you can source or advertise work experience opportunities for young people and graduates.

Work Experience Programme

The Work Experience Programme provides employers with the opportunity to offer meaningful work experience which can provide a valuable contribution to the development of people’s employability skills and career aspirations.

Read full details on the Work Experience Programme.

Connect with local universities and colleges

Some universities and colleges establish partnerships with local employers to generate work experience placement opportunities for their students. You could get in contact with local universities and colleges to establish a work experience partnership for your business.

Find contact details for universities and colleges in Northern Ireland.

Providing as much information as possible about the placement to the young person in advance gives them a clearer guide about what to expect and reduces their anxiety.

Before starting, the placement supervisor should try to inform the student about the following:

• where to go on their first day
• who to report to
• start and finish time
• breaks
• lunchtimes
• canteen facilities or alternatives
• dress code (smart/casual can be confusing, so you could provide a few examples)

Placement Plan

Placement plans provide both the supervisor and student with a placement structure. 

You may wish to consider incorporating the following into the placement plan:

• welcome and overview of the company
• induction - health and safety, confidentiality
• provision of uniform/pass if required
• tour including canteen and toilets
• instruction in the safe use of any equipment including IT equipment
• timetable for the week
• what activities the student will be doing
• details of any projects they may have to complete
• review of placement when completed

It would be beneficial both for you and the student to spend some time before the placement commences identifying different tasks, projects, and activities that they can work on.

There are a number of things you should ensure are in place before a young person starts their work placement.

Insurance

You should ensure the young person is covered by your company's public liability and employer's liability insurance. Read more on liability insurance.

In addition:

• you may be required to provide proof of this liability insurance to the school or college
• you may also have to sign an indemnity form which the school or college will provide

For further information, download the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Employers' Liability guide (PDF, 305K).

Health and safety

You are responsible for the student's health and safety while they are on placement with you. See health and safety basics for businesses.

Read HSE guidance on work experience.

Legal constraints

Employers should be mindful also of the following legal constraints in place to protect the student.

Students should not:

• be asked to work outside the hours of 9am to 5pm
• be asked to work more than 36.25 hours per week, excluding travel or lunch breaks
• work for more than five days in any consecutive seven-day period
• drive, manage, control or move mechanically propelled vehicles
• undertake work experience in a place where they are under the statutory age limit
• work in ways prohibited for under 18 year olds eg on aeroplanes, the airport apron, boats/ships, or portside
• undertake placements working at heights, in confined spaces or with dangerous substances

Read more on employing children and young people.

Read HSE guidance on what the law says about young people at work.

Risk assessment

You should ensure your risk assessment is up-to-date to include work experience students. Read more on health and safety risk assessment.

Read HSE guidance on risk assessment.

Child protection

Your staff should be made aware of your organisation's child protection policy.

You should consider the following:

• Do you have a child protection policy or procedure in place?
• Basic child protection training is required if there is a named supervisor with responsibility for trainees.
• Is the named supervisor checked through AccessNI? Read more on AccessNI criminal records checks.
• A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is required if the employee's specific job purpose includes looking after under 16 work experience students. Read more about the Disclosure and Barring Service.
• As part of the risk assessment with regards to the placement, have you considered the location, travel and access to confidential material?
• Instructions and guidance should be given to all employees in relation to bullying, inappropriate behaviour, and language, including horseplay. Read more on bullying and harassment.
• The need for one-to-one work with a single adult should be avoided wherever possible.

Work experience should be beneficial both to you and the young person, so it is essential they are given as much insight into the world of work as possible.

This will allow opportunities for professional development and ensure they can demonstrate their practical experience to potential employers in the future.

Work experience tasks

Some suggestions for the types of tasks include:

• offer them a project to work on during the placement
• identify some work shadowing or team working opportunities
• assign a task for them to work on which is supervised but with scope to use their own ideas and creativity
• some administrative tasks such as answering telephones, sending emails, minute taking or filing

You could also ask the student directly if they have any suggestions for what they would like to do, or improvements they think could be made within your business.

A member of staff should be identified as a point of contact to support, supervise, and mentor the student during their work experience.

This person can also liaise with the student's school or college during the placement.

The work experience placement supervisor should:

• create a placement plan for the student
• contact the student prior to placement and let them know where to go on their first day
• welcome the student and carry out their induction to the company
• ensure the student is treated as a young adult who is making a valuable contribution to the team
• be approachable and offer positive feedback
• be the first point of contact for the student in any instance of absence
• encourage the student to reflect on what they have learned on a daily basis and how these new skills could enhance their CV
• where possible, meet with the student at the start and end of each day
• liaise with the school or college before, during, and after the placement

A teacher or representative from the school or college may want to make a visit during the placement or telephone to discuss how the placement is going and what the student is achieving.

Work experience review meeting

On the last day, where possible you and/or the placement supervisor should meet with the student to discuss their placement.

You may wish to discuss the following:

• the student's achievements
• lessons learned
• how the experience relates to their education and career plans
• if there are any positions coming up in the company they may be interested in

You will usually be asked to complete a student assessment form. This is a very useful document for the student as it can be used in the future as a CV reference.

Work experience feedback

You may also be asked to complete an employer assessment form for evaluation purposes.

This will allow a critical analysis to be carried out. All suggested recommendations/improvements should be followed up by the school or college.

Work experience is an opportunity to introduce young people to the reality of working life. The experience they get during their work placement can help them develop practical insight and skills to help them secure and sustain future employment.

By taking students on work experience, employers get an opportunity to engage, inspire, and inform young people about what working life is really like. 

Benefits of providing work experience for employers

Offering work experience can bring a number of benefits to you as an employer:

Promotes your company profile

Establishing your business as an employer that offers young people work experience opportunities will build a positive image of your company and one that people easily recognise.

Contribute to your corporate and social responsibility (CSR)

Providing work experience opportunities will contribute to your CSR duty. This will be seen favourably by customers, suppliers, and the wider community.

Better connection with your community

By offering work experience opportunities to local schools and education providers you can add value to and make meaningful connections with your community.

Find new talent

Work experience programmes are a great way to tap into new talent as young people seek jobs following full-time education. Having an established connection with young people gives you a competitive edge over those employers that don’t offer work experience placements. You will also get insight into what potential recruits look for in an employer as generations evolve.

Skills development

Involving your employees in the work experience placement and providing potential management opportunities can help your staff develop their supervisory and managerial skills. This will help staff feel motivated and invested in your business helping to contribute to staff retention.

Get additional help at no cost

Employers are not obligated to pay for work experience placements, so you have the opportunity to get additional help at no extra cost. This can be beneficial to both you and the work experience placement, for example, if you have a large project that requires additional resources. This also offers the opportunity to provide an enriched experience for the placement student.

Innovation and new ideas

Young people often bring fresh ideas and approaches which may open up new opportunities for your business. They may also be able to inject some innovation into your business and offer alternative solutions to challenges.

Promoting diversity

By offering work experience placements to young people from various backgrounds you will promote diversity in your workplace.

Gain a competitive edge

By establishing a relationship with local education providers and being viewed as an employer that provides young people with opportunities you will have a significant advantage over your competitors especially when it comes to recruitment.

Work experience benefits for young people

There are a number of benefits that work experience placements can offer young people:

Skills development

Work experience gives young people the opportunity to develop skills essential for working life such as time management, teamwork, business etiquette, communication, and problem-solving.

Career path

Young people can get an insight into what is required to work in certain industries when they take up a work experience placement. It will help them decide what career path to follow.

Personal development

Work experience helps young people build transferrable skills that they will be able to use in other jobs. They will also gain confidence by taking on a new challenge.

Connections

Work experience provides young people with the opportunity to connect with local companies and meet new people who can help them on their career path.

Insight into recruitment

Applying for a work placement provides the opportunity to learn about recruitment processes eg how to apply for a job, prepare for job interviews, and build a CV

There are various ways that you can advertise or source work experience opportunities.

Alternatively, you may wish to use one of the following organisations to manage work experience opportunities on your behalf. These organisations provide a brokerage service to support employers and school career teachers in arranging work experience placements for post-primary students.

Speakers for School

You can host work experience opportunities through Speakers for School. They can help you advertise your opportunities and connect you with suitable work experience candidates.

Offer work experience opportunities with Speakers for School.

Business in the Community Work Inspiration

Business in the Community Work Inspiration is a national, employer-led campaign that aims to make work experience more meaningful, relevant, and inspiring for young people.

Schools and colleges

A number of schools and colleges encourage young people to find their own placement. However, there are occasions when careers teachers will source placements for the students.

Some schools and colleges have also developed partnerships with local employers. You could get in contact with schools in your area to see if you could establish a partnership for work experience.

Contact your local Education Authority office.

Arranging work experience

Issues to consider when thinking of taking part in work experience include:

• Duration of placement - most schools and colleges prefer a five-day block placement, however, some may be open to three or four-day placements.
• Age of students - most students go on work experience in year 12 (age 15-16 years old) and/or year 13 (age 16-17 years old) or year 14 (age 17-18 years old).
• You do not have to pay students on work experience a wage.

There are ways you can source or advertise work experience opportunities for young people and graduates.

Work Experience Programme

The Work Experience Programme provides employers with the opportunity to offer meaningful work experience which can provide a valuable contribution to the development of people’s employability skills and career aspirations.

Read full details on the Work Experience Programme.

Connect with local universities and colleges

Some universities and colleges establish partnerships with local employers to generate work experience placement opportunities for their students. You could get in contact with local universities and colleges to establish a work experience partnership for your business.

Find contact details for universities and colleges in Northern Ireland.

Providing as much information as possible about the placement to the young person in advance gives them a clearer guide about what to expect and reduces their anxiety.

Before starting, the placement supervisor should try to inform the student about the following:

• where to go on their first day
• who to report to
• start and finish time
• breaks
• lunchtimes
• canteen facilities or alternatives
• dress code (smart/casual can be confusing, so you could provide a few examples)

Placement Plan

Placement plans provide both the supervisor and student with a placement structure. 

You may wish to consider incorporating the following into the placement plan:

• welcome and overview of the company
• induction - health and safety, confidentiality
• provision of uniform/pass if required
• tour including canteen and toilets
• instruction in the safe use of any equipment including IT equipment
• timetable for the week
• what activities the student will be doing
• details of any projects they may have to complete
• review of placement when completed

It would be beneficial both for you and the student to spend some time before the placement commences identifying different tasks, projects, and activities that they can work on.

There are a number of things you should ensure are in place before a young person starts their work placement.

Insurance

You should ensure the young person is covered by your company's public liability and employer's liability insurance. Read more on liability insurance.

In addition:

• you may be required to provide proof of this liability insurance to the school or college
• you may also have to sign an indemnity form which the school or college will provide

For further information, download the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Employers' Liability guide (PDF, 305K).

Health and safety

You are responsible for the student's health and safety while they are on placement with you. See health and safety basics for businesses.

Read HSE guidance on work experience.

Legal constraints

Employers should be mindful also of the following legal constraints in place to protect the student.

Students should not:

• be asked to work outside the hours of 9am to 5pm
• be asked to work more than 36.25 hours per week, excluding travel or lunch breaks
• work for more than five days in any consecutive seven-day period
• drive, manage, control or move mechanically propelled vehicles
• undertake work experience in a place where they are under the statutory age limit
• work in ways prohibited for under 18 year olds eg on aeroplanes, the airport apron, boats/ships, or portside
• undertake placements working at heights, in confined spaces or with dangerous substances

Read more on employing children and young people.

Read HSE guidance on what the law says about young people at work.

Risk assessment

You should ensure your risk assessment is up-to-date to include work experience students. Read more on health and safety risk assessment.

Read HSE guidance on risk assessment.

Child protection

Your staff should be made aware of your organisation's child protection policy.

You should consider the following:

• Do you have a child protection policy or procedure in place?
• Basic child protection training is required if there is a named supervisor with responsibility for trainees.
• Is the named supervisor checked through AccessNI? Read more on AccessNI criminal records checks.
• A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is required if the employee's specific job purpose includes looking after under 16 work experience students. Read more about the Disclosure and Barring Service.
• As part of the risk assessment with regards to the placement, have you considered the location, travel and access to confidential material?
• Instructions and guidance should be given to all employees in relation to bullying, inappropriate behaviour, and language, including horseplay. Read more on bullying and harassment.
• The need for one-to-one work with a single adult should be avoided wherever possible.

Work experience should be beneficial both to you and the young person, so it is essential they are given as much insight into the world of work as possible.

This will allow opportunities for professional development and ensure they can demonstrate their practical experience to potential employers in the future.

Work experience tasks

Some suggestions for the types of tasks include:

• offer them a project to work on during the placement
• identify some work shadowing or team working opportunities
• assign a task for them to work on which is supervised but with scope to use their own ideas and creativity
• some administrative tasks such as answering telephones, sending emails, minute taking or filing

You could also ask the student directly if they have any suggestions for what they would like to do, or improvements they think could be made within your business.

A member of staff should be identified as a point of contact to support, supervise, and mentor the student during their work experience.

This person can also liaise with the student's school or college during the placement.

The work experience placement supervisor should:

• create a placement plan for the student
• contact the student prior to placement and let them know where to go on their first day
• welcome the student and carry out their induction to the company
• ensure the student is treated as a young adult who is making a valuable contribution to the team
• be approachable and offer positive feedback
• be the first point of contact for the student in any instance of absence
• encourage the student to reflect on what they have learned on a daily basis and how these new skills could enhance their CV
• where possible, meet with the student at the start and end of each day
• liaise with the school or college before, during, and after the placement

A teacher or representative from the school or college may want to make a visit during the placement or telephone to discuss how the placement is going and what the student is achieving.

Work experience review meeting

On the last day, where possible you and/or the placement supervisor should meet with the student to discuss their placement.

You may wish to discuss the following:

• the student's achievements
• lessons learned
• how the experience relates to their education and career plans
• if there are any positions coming up in the company they may be interested in

You will usually be asked to complete a student assessment form. This is a very useful document for the student as it can be used in the future as a CV reference.

Work experience feedback

You may also be asked to complete an employer assessment form for evaluation purposes.

This will allow a critical analysis to be carried out. All suggested recommendations/improvements should be followed up by the school or college.

Work experience is an opportunity to introduce young people to the reality of working life. The experience they get during their work placement can help them develop practical insight and skills to help them secure and sustain future employment.

By taking students on work experience, employers get an opportunity to engage, inspire, and inform young people about what working life is really like. 

Benefits of providing work experience for employers

Offering work experience can bring a number of benefits to you as an employer:

Promotes your company profile

Establishing your business as an employer that offers young people work experience opportunities will build a positive image of your company and one that people easily recognise.

Contribute to your corporate and social responsibility (CSR)

Providing work experience opportunities will contribute to your CSR duty. This will be seen favourably by customers, suppliers, and the wider community.

Better connection with your community

By offering work experience opportunities to local schools and education providers you can add value to and make meaningful connections with your community.

Find new talent

Work experience programmes are a great way to tap into new talent as young people seek jobs following full-time education. Having an established connection with young people gives you a competitive edge over those employers that don’t offer work experience placements. You will also get insight into what potential recruits look for in an employer as generations evolve.

Skills development

Involving your employees in the work experience placement and providing potential management opportunities can help your staff develop their supervisory and managerial skills. This will help staff feel motivated and invested in your business helping to contribute to staff retention.

Get additional help at no cost

Employers are not obligated to pay for work experience placements, so you have the opportunity to get additional help at no extra cost. This can be beneficial to both you and the work experience placement, for example, if you have a large project that requires additional resources. This also offers the opportunity to provide an enriched experience for the placement student.

Innovation and new ideas

Young people often bring fresh ideas and approaches which may open up new opportunities for your business. They may also be able to inject some innovation into your business and offer alternative solutions to challenges.

Promoting diversity

By offering work experience placements to young people from various backgrounds you will promote diversity in your workplace.

Gain a competitive edge

By establishing a relationship with local education providers and being viewed as an employer that provides young people with opportunities you will have a significant advantage over your competitors especially when it comes to recruitment.

Work experience benefits for young people

There are a number of benefits that work experience placements can offer young people:

Skills development

Work experience gives young people the opportunity to develop skills essential for working life such as time management, teamwork, business etiquette, communication, and problem-solving.

Career path

Young people can get an insight into what is required to work in certain industries when they take up a work experience placement. It will help them decide what career path to follow.

Personal development

Work experience helps young people build transferrable skills that they will be able to use in other jobs. They will also gain confidence by taking on a new challenge.

Connections

Work experience provides young people with the opportunity to connect with local companies and meet new people who can help them on their career path.

Insight into recruitment

Applying for a work placement provides the opportunity to learn about recruitment processes eg how to apply for a job, prepare for job interviews, and build a CV

There are various ways that you can advertise or source work experience opportunities.

Alternatively, you may wish to use one of the following organisations to manage work experience opportunities on your behalf. These organisations provide a brokerage service to support employers and school career teachers in arranging work experience placements for post-primary students.

Speakers for School

You can host work experience opportunities through Speakers for School. They can help you advertise your opportunities and connect you with suitable work experience candidates.

Offer work experience opportunities with Speakers for School.

Business in the Community Work Inspiration

Business in the Community Work Inspiration is a national, employer-led campaign that aims to make work experience more meaningful, relevant, and inspiring for young people.

Schools and colleges

A number of schools and colleges encourage young people to find their own placement. However, there are occasions when careers teachers will source placements for the students.

Some schools and colleges have also developed partnerships with local employers. You could get in contact with schools in your area to see if you could establish a partnership for work experience.

Contact your local Education Authority office.

Arranging work experience

Issues to consider when thinking of taking part in work experience include:

• Duration of placement - most schools and colleges prefer a five-day block placement, however, some may be open to three or four-day placements.
• Age of students - most students go on work experience in year 12 (age 15-16 years old) and/or year 13 (age 16-17 years old) or year 14 (age 17-18 years old).
• You do not have to pay students on work experience a wage.

There are ways you can source or advertise work experience opportunities for young people and graduates.

Work Experience Programme

The Work Experience Programme provides employers with the opportunity to offer meaningful work experience which can provide a valuable contribution to the development of people’s employability skills and career aspirations.

Read full details on the Work Experience Programme.

Connect with local universities and colleges

Some universities and colleges establish partnerships with local employers to generate work experience placement opportunities for their students. You could get in contact with local universities and colleges to establish a work experience partnership for your business.

Find contact details for universities and colleges in Northern Ireland.

Providing as much information as possible about the placement to the young person in advance gives them a clearer guide about what to expect and reduces their anxiety.

Before starting, the placement supervisor should try to inform the student about the following:

• where to go on their first day
• who to report to
• start and finish time
• breaks
• lunchtimes
• canteen facilities or alternatives
• dress code (smart/casual can be confusing, so you could provide a few examples)

Placement Plan

Placement plans provide both the supervisor and student with a placement structure. 

You may wish to consider incorporating the following into the placement plan:

• welcome and overview of the company
• induction - health and safety, confidentiality
• provision of uniform/pass if required
• tour including canteen and toilets
• instruction in the safe use of any equipment including IT equipment
• timetable for the week
• what activities the student will be doing
• details of any projects they may have to complete
• review of placement when completed

It would be beneficial both for you and the student to spend some time before the placement commences identifying different tasks, projects, and activities that they can work on.

There are a number of things you should ensure are in place before a young person starts their work placement.

Insurance

You should ensure the young person is covered by your company's public liability and employer's liability insurance. Read more on liability insurance.

In addition:

• you may be required to provide proof of this liability insurance to the school or college
• you may also have to sign an indemnity form which the school or college will provide

For further information, download the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Employers' Liability guide (PDF, 305K).

Health and safety

You are responsible for the student's health and safety while they are on placement with you. See health and safety basics for businesses.

Read HSE guidance on work experience.

Legal constraints

Employers should be mindful also of the following legal constraints in place to protect the student.

Students should not:

• be asked to work outside the hours of 9am to 5pm
• be asked to work more than 36.25 hours per week, excluding travel or lunch breaks
• work for more than five days in any consecutive seven-day period
• drive, manage, control or move mechanically propelled vehicles
• undertake work experience in a place where they are under the statutory age limit
• work in ways prohibited for under 18 year olds eg on aeroplanes, the airport apron, boats/ships, or portside
• undertake placements working at heights, in confined spaces or with dangerous substances

Read more on employing children and young people.

Read HSE guidance on what the law says about young people at work.

Risk assessment

You should ensure your risk assessment is up-to-date to include work experience students. Read more on health and safety risk assessment.

Read HSE guidance on risk assessment.

Child protection

Your staff should be made aware of your organisation's child protection policy.

You should consider the following:

• Do you have a child protection policy or procedure in place?
• Basic child protection training is required if there is a named supervisor with responsibility for trainees.
• Is the named supervisor checked through AccessNI? Read more on AccessNI criminal records checks.
• A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is required if the employee's specific job purpose includes looking after under 16 work experience students. Read more about the Disclosure and Barring Service.
• As part of the risk assessment with regards to the placement, have you considered the location, travel and access to confidential material?
• Instructions and guidance should be given to all employees in relation to bullying, inappropriate behaviour, and language, including horseplay. Read more on bullying and harassment.
• The need for one-to-one work with a single adult should be avoided wherever possible.

Work experience should be beneficial both to you and the young person, so it is essential they are given as much insight into the world of work as possible.

This will allow opportunities for professional development and ensure they can demonstrate their practical experience to potential employers in the future.

Work experience tasks

Some suggestions for the types of tasks include:

• offer them a project to work on during the placement
• identify some work shadowing or team working opportunities
• assign a task for them to work on which is supervised but with scope to use their own ideas and creativity
• some administrative tasks such as answering telephones, sending emails, minute taking or filing

You could also ask the student directly if they have any suggestions for what they would like to do, or improvements they think could be made within your business.

A member of staff should be identified as a point of contact to support, supervise, and mentor the student during their work experience.

This person can also liaise with the student's school or college during the placement.

The work experience placement supervisor should:

• create a placement plan for the student
• contact the student prior to placement and let them know where to go on their first day
• welcome the student and carry out their induction to the company
• ensure the student is treated as a young adult who is making a valuable contribution to the team
• be approachable and offer positive feedback
• be the first point of contact for the student in any instance of absence
• encourage the student to reflect on what they have learned on a daily basis and how these new skills could enhance their CV
• where possible, meet with the student at the start and end of each day
• liaise with the school or college before, during, and after the placement

A teacher or representative from the school or college may want to make a visit during the placement or telephone to discuss how the placement is going and what the student is achieving.

Work experience review meeting

On the last day, where possible you and/or the placement supervisor should meet with the student to discuss their placement.

You may wish to discuss the following:

• the student's achievements
• lessons learned
• how the experience relates to their education and career plans
• if there are any positions coming up in the company they may be interested in

You will usually be asked to complete a student assessment form. This is a very useful document for the student as it can be used in the future as a CV reference.

Work experience feedback

You may also be asked to complete an employer assessment form for evaluation purposes.

This will allow a critical analysis to be carried out. All suggested recommendations/improvements should be followed up by the school or college.

Work experience is an opportunity to introduce young people to the reality of working life. The experience they get during their work placement can help them develop practical insight and skills to help them secure and sustain future employment.

By taking students on work experience, employers get an opportunity to engage, inspire, and inform young people about what working life is really like. 

Benefits of providing work experience for employers

Offering work experience can bring a number of benefits to you as an employer:

Promotes your company profile

Establishing your business as an employer that offers young people work experience opportunities will build a positive image of your company and one that people easily recognise.

Contribute to your corporate and social responsibility (CSR)

Providing work experience opportunities will contribute to your CSR duty. This will be seen favourably by customers, suppliers, and the wider community.

Better connection with your community

By offering work experience opportunities to local schools and education providers you can add value to and make meaningful connections with your community.

Find new talent

Work experience programmes are a great way to tap into new talent as young people seek jobs following full-time education. Having an established connection with young people gives you a competitive edge over those employers that don’t offer work experience placements. You will also get insight into what potential recruits look for in an employer as generations evolve.

Skills development

Involving your employees in the work experience placement and providing potential management opportunities can help your staff develop their supervisory and managerial skills. This will help staff feel motivated and invested in your business helping to contribute to staff retention.

Get additional help at no cost

Employers are not obligated to pay for work experience placements, so you have the opportunity to get additional help at no extra cost. This can be beneficial to both you and the work experience placement, for example, if you have a large project that requires additional resources. This also offers the opportunity to provide an enriched experience for the placement student.

Innovation and new ideas

Young people often bring fresh ideas and approaches which may open up new opportunities for your business. They may also be able to inject some innovation into your business and offer alternative solutions to challenges.

Promoting diversity

By offering work experience placements to young people from various backgrounds you will promote diversity in your workplace.

Gain a competitive edge

By establishing a relationship with local education providers and being viewed as an employer that provides young people with opportunities you will have a significant advantage over your competitors especially when it comes to recruitment.

Work experience benefits for young people

There are a number of benefits that work experience placements can offer young people:

Skills development

Work experience gives young people the opportunity to develop skills essential for working life such as time management, teamwork, business etiquette, communication, and problem-solving.

Career path

Young people can get an insight into what is required to work in certain industries when they take up a work experience placement. It will help them decide what career path to follow.

Personal development

Work experience helps young people build transferrable skills that they will be able to use in other jobs. They will also gain confidence by taking on a new challenge.

Connections

Work experience provides young people with the opportunity to connect with local companies and meet new people who can help them on their career path.

Insight into recruitment

Applying for a work placement provides the opportunity to learn about recruitment processes eg how to apply for a job, prepare for job interviews, and build a CV

There are various ways that you can advertise or source work experience opportunities.

Alternatively, you may wish to use one of the following organisations to manage work experience opportunities on your behalf. These organisations provide a brokerage service to support employers and school career teachers in arranging work experience placements for post-primary students.

Speakers for School

You can host work experience opportunities through Speakers for School. They can help you advertise your opportunities and connect you with suitable work experience candidates.

Offer work experience opportunities with Speakers for School.

Business in the Community Work Inspiration

Business in the Community Work Inspiration is a national, employer-led campaign that aims to make work experience more meaningful, relevant, and inspiring for young people.

Schools and colleges

A number of schools and colleges encourage young people to find their own placement. However, there are occasions when careers teachers will source placements for the students.

Some schools and colleges have also developed partnerships with local employers. You could get in contact with schools in your area to see if you could establish a partnership for work experience.

Contact your local Education Authority office.

Arranging work experience

Issues to consider when thinking of taking part in work experience include:

• Duration of placement - most schools and colleges prefer a five-day block placement, however, some may be open to three or four-day placements.
• Age of students - most students go on work experience in year 12 (age 15-16 years old) and/or year 13 (age 16-17 years old) or year 14 (age 17-18 years old).
• You do not have to pay students on work experience a wage.

There are ways you can source or advertise work experience opportunities for young people and graduates.

Work Experience Programme

The Work Experience Programme provides employers with the opportunity to offer meaningful work experience which can provide a valuable contribution to the development of people’s employability skills and career aspirations.

Read full details on the Work Experience Programme.

Connect with local universities and colleges

Some universities and colleges establish partnerships with local employers to generate work experience placement opportunities for their students. You could get in contact with local universities and colleges to establish a work experience partnership for your business.

Find contact details for universities and colleges in Northern Ireland.

Providing as much information as possible about the placement to the young person in advance gives them a clearer guide about what to expect and reduces their anxiety.

Before starting, the placement supervisor should try to inform the student about the following:

• where to go on their first day
• who to report to
• start and finish time
• breaks
• lunchtimes
• canteen facilities or alternatives
• dress code (smart/casual can be confusing, so you could provide a few examples)

Placement Plan

Placement plans provide both the supervisor and student with a placement structure. 

You may wish to consider incorporating the following into the placement plan:

• welcome and overview of the company
• induction - health and safety, confidentiality
• provision of uniform/pass if required
• tour including canteen and toilets
• instruction in the safe use of any equipment including IT equipment
• timetable for the week
• what activities the student will be doing
• details of any projects they may have to complete
• review of placement when completed

It would be beneficial both for you and the student to spend some time before the placement commences identifying different tasks, projects, and activities that they can work on.

There are a number of things you should ensure are in place before a young person starts their work placement.

Insurance

You should ensure the young person is covered by your company's public liability and employer's liability insurance. Read more on liability insurance.

In addition:

• you may be required to provide proof of this liability insurance to the school or college
• you may also have to sign an indemnity form which the school or college will provide

For further information, download the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Employers' Liability guide (PDF, 305K).

Health and safety

You are responsible for the student's health and safety while they are on placement with you. See health and safety basics for businesses.

Read HSE guidance on work experience.

Legal constraints

Employers should be mindful also of the following legal constraints in place to protect the student.

Students should not:

• be asked to work outside the hours of 9am to 5pm
• be asked to work more than 36.25 hours per week, excluding travel or lunch breaks
• work for more than five days in any consecutive seven-day period
• drive, manage, control or move mechanically propelled vehicles
• undertake work experience in a place where they are under the statutory age limit
• work in ways prohibited for under 18 year olds eg on aeroplanes, the airport apron, boats/ships, or portside
• undertake placements working at heights, in confined spaces or with dangerous substances

Read more on employing children and young people.

Read HSE guidance on what the law says about young people at work.

Risk assessment

You should ensure your risk assessment is up-to-date to include work experience students. Read more on health and safety risk assessment.

Read HSE guidance on risk assessment.

Child protection

Your staff should be made aware of your organisation's child protection policy.

You should consider the following:

• Do you have a child protection policy or procedure in place?
• Basic child protection training is required if there is a named supervisor with responsibility for trainees.
• Is the named supervisor checked through AccessNI? Read more on AccessNI criminal records checks.
• A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is required if the employee's specific job purpose includes looking after under 16 work experience students. Read more about the Disclosure and Barring Service.
• As part of the risk assessment with regards to the placement, have you considered the location, travel and access to confidential material?
• Instructions and guidance should be given to all employees in relation to bullying, inappropriate behaviour, and language, including horseplay. Read more on bullying and harassment.
• The need for one-to-one work with a single adult should be avoided wherever possible.

Work experience should be beneficial both to you and the young person, so it is essential they are given as much insight into the world of work as possible.

This will allow opportunities for professional development and ensure they can demonstrate their practical experience to potential employers in the future.

Work experience tasks

Some suggestions for the types of tasks include:

• offer them a project to work on during the placement
• identify some work shadowing or team working opportunities
• assign a task for them to work on which is supervised but with scope to use their own ideas and creativity
• some administrative tasks such as answering telephones, sending emails, minute taking or filing

You could also ask the student directly if they have any suggestions for what they would like to do, or improvements they think could be made within your business.

A member of staff should be identified as a point of contact to support, supervise, and mentor the student during their work experience.

This person can also liaise with the student's school or college during the placement.

The work experience placement supervisor should:

• create a placement plan for the student
• contact the student prior to placement and let them know where to go on their first day
• welcome the student and carry out their induction to the company
• ensure the student is treated as a young adult who is making a valuable contribution to the team
• be approachable and offer positive feedback
• be the first point of contact for the student in any instance of absence
• encourage the student to reflect on what they have learned on a daily basis and how these new skills could enhance their CV
• where possible, meet with the student at the start and end of each day
• liaise with the school or college before, during, and after the placement

A teacher or representative from the school or college may want to make a visit during the placement or telephone to discuss how the placement is going and what the student is achieving.

Work experience review meeting

On the last day, where possible you and/or the placement supervisor should meet with the student to discuss their placement.

You may wish to discuss the following:

• the student's achievements
• lessons learned
• how the experience relates to their education and career plans
• if there are any positions coming up in the company they may be interested in

You will usually be asked to complete a student assessment form. This is a very useful document for the student as it can be used in the future as a CV reference.

Work experience feedback

You may also be asked to complete an employer assessment form for evaluation purposes.

This will allow a critical analysis to be carried out. All suggested recommendations/improvements should be followed up by the school or college.