| Title |
Work Experience Policy |
| Lead officer(s) |
Donna Neilson |
| Telephone number |
01563 576821 |
| Email address |
Donna.Neilson@east-ayrshire.gov.uk |
| Date summary created |
25 Apr 2024 |
| Date assessment completed |
11 Mar 2024 |
| Summary of policy aims |
This policy sets out the Council's commitment to the provision of work experience placements and sets out the processes for undertaking work experience placements and the arrangements for set up, management, recording and reporting of them. The Councils overall ambition is to provide a range of good quality work experience opportunities and pathways for young people to be work ready and consider a career with the Council in order to grow the number of young people employed by the Council. Work experience enable us to identify skill and talent in the potential future workforce, boost morale of teams, develop supervisory, coaching and mentoring skills of existing staff, provide the ability to fast track talent development and address skills shortages, bring fresh energy and a new perspective to the workplace, access digital skills developed by young people who have grown up in the digital age, increase workforce diversity and provide greater access to young people to enable them to make more informed choices due to having undertaken work experience. |
| Key issues |
The policy is aimed at work experience placements for School student within East Ayrshire. Skills and Learning clients and unemployed clients of the Employability service of all ages. Foundation Apprenticeships enable young people, still at school, to develop skills for work and build qualifications while still at school. In Ayrshire, Foundation Apprenticeship frameworks are mainly delivered through Ayrshire College and combine work-based learning on placement with classroom study. Work placements are facilitated and supported appropriately by the 3 Local Authority Education Services. It is hoped that people with a broad range of protected characteristics receive work placements. Work Experience opportunities will be open to all those applicable regardless of race, disability, sexual orientation etc. and equality monitoring will take place to identify any gaps, and develop initiatives to encourage under-represented groups. |
| Summary of involvement with Groups |
A working group was set up to look at the policy and consultation of staff who actively work with young people in supporting them into employment and Apprenticeships were involved as well as EAC People and Culture Equalities Officer, Education Services, Skills and Learning Service, Employability Service, Trade Unions, HR Managers and Senior Service Managers. |
| Key recommendations |
The Work Experience Policy offers an opportunity for young people to experience the world of work and supports young people to be work ready. This policy will actively encourage young people from all backgrounds to have the opportunity of entering a work experience that they may feel that was not an option and has the potential to breakdown stereotype job roles. |