http://www.holyrood-sec.glasgow.sch.uk/

Holyrood Secondary

Information for Parents and Pupils

Work Experience

N MacLellan

Medicine: Hospitals, care homes, hospices and GP surgeries.Dentistry: NHS and private dentist surgeries.Nursing and Midwifery: Care homes, hospices.Financial Services: Bank, mortgage advisers, financial planners.Veterinary: Extensive work experience is essential with large and small animals, vet practices, pet shops, and farms.Teaching: Tutoring in school, paired reading, primary, summer play schemes, nurseries.Media and Journalism: School newsletters, local paper, local radio stations, online blogs.Hospitality, Leisure, Tourism: Hotels, Gyms, Travel agents, local visitor attractions (e.g. Hampden)IT based careers: Software engineering, web design companies, HP plant in Erskine.

What is work experience?It is an opportunity for S5 pupils to carry out real work tasks on employers’ premises and experience as closely as possible the hours, working conditions and disciplines they would encounter as employees.

Why is work experience important?Motivates pupils towards a particular career and can facilitate future career decisions.Pupils identify and develop their employability skills.Pupils gain insight into the realities of working life.Has a positive impact on pupil’s motivation and determination to succeed when back at school.Facilitates the process of completing the UCAS application personal statement and CV’s.

Links to Higher Education and EmploymentWith fewer jobs and University places than before, you have to make yourself stand out from other applicants and you can do this through gaining work experi-ence.

Gaining relevant work experience and writing about it intelligently in your UCAS application personal statement may make the difference between getting an inter-view and instant rejection.

Examples of courses which require work experience

Work Experience – Case Studies

Pupil Case Study Angela Baillie S5:Before the summer I did work experi-ence at Barratt Homes Head Office. I was sorting in the mail room and fixing the properties online. Work Experience definitely opens your eyes for what life is like after school. It made me realise how important school is and what grades I need to get to get the job I want. I also gained work experience at Toni and Guy hairdressers, I started off brushing floors, cleaning mirrors and making tea but now I work there every Saturday!

Employer Arnold Clark Pre-Apprenticeship ProgrammeThe Pre- Apprenticeship programmes offer people aged 16 or over the op-portunity to work towards a recognised qualification, skilled employment and greater career prospects. The programme offers individuals the chance to gain skills through shad-owing motor vehicle technicians and vehicle refinishers to business admin-istrators and customer services. Young people must carry out work ex-perience within the pre-apprenticeship programme to be granted an appren-ticeship following school as well as achieving the exam entry requirements.

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Personal Details:Jack McDonald64 Boyd Street

GlasgowG42 8AJ

Mobile No: 07808596148E-mail: jmcdonald07@hotmail.com

Education:Holyrood Secondary School, Dixon Road, Glasgow, G42 8AU.

Attended 2006-2012

Standard Grade Results Higher ResultsEnglish 1 Maths AMaths 1 Graphic Communication AMusic 1 English BFrench 2 Physics B Graphic Communication 2 Physical Education BPhysical Education 2 Music BPhysics 2 Human Biology CChemistry 3

Work Experience:Asda Toryglen: I worked within various departments in Asda stocking shelves, processing orders, customer enquiries and answering telephone calls. I shadowed cashiers and helped with the cashing up procedures. RBS Glasgow: I shadowed various members of staff and was responsible for cash handling, custom-er service and customer telephone calls. This placement gave me great insight into financial services and I gained practical experience dealing with the public.Begley Brown Financial Solutions Ltd, Glasgow: I shadowed chartered financial planners on pensions, investments and mortgages and developed my knowledge in these areas. I was involved in meeting clients, analysing data and shadowing all different team members. I gained a wealth of experience and insight into an industry that I want to develop a career in.

Wider School AchievementsI was a member of the 2012 Malawi team, a partnership project which involved fundraising, building and refurbishing classrooms. I worked as part of a team to benefit the education system in Malawi as well as developing my own personal skills.I was an S6 Prefect which involved maintaining the high standards of the school and helping to organ-ise social events such as discos, ceilidhs and fundraising events.

Personal AchievementsI have achieved the NPA Scottish bagpipes level 4 and I’m now working on my level 5 qualification.

This pupil secured a modern ap-prenticeship with Morgan Stanley in which he will gain financial qualifications whilst getting paid. A fantastic opportunity that was made possible through work experience in Holyrood!

Example of a S6 CV upon leaving Holyrood

www.workit.info is a Glasgow City Council website of which all Holyrood pupils have a login and password to access. Pupils can view and request poten-tial work experience placements that are suitable for them and a parental permission form is posted to your home address which must be returned to Miss MacLellan as soon as possible. Work Experience Workshops are carried out after school on the training of how to use the Work It website.

How to secure a work experience placement

The first thing you need to do is research possible jobs you are interested in, speak to your family members, teachers, friends about this too.

Go on to the World of Work website http://www.myworldofwork.co.uk/ which has an A-Z list of jobs and careers and the neces-sary work experience and the qualifications required to do these.

If you need help with this stage you can ask your Pastoral Care Teacher to arrange a meeting with the Careers Adviser.

There are 2 ways of finding and securing a work experienceplacement:

www.workit.info

Self Found Placements

WorkIT

Once confirmed, an information letter, placement details form, and parental permission (medical) form will be posted to your home address which you should complete as soon as possible and return to Miss MacLellan.

Changing Your PlacementOnce your placement has been confirmed you should not request to change this. Please be sure when you are requesting a job that you are happy with this and you realise you cannot change it for something else.

Self-Found Placements

A self-found placement allows pupils to seek their own work experience by approaching companies/establishments with their own personal CV and a self-found placement form which is provided by Miss MacLellan.

Pupils want to make a good first impression upon requesting a placement and approach a potential employer wearing a blazer and full school uniform and hand out their CV (similar to the one featured in this booklet) as well as the self-found form for employers to complete.

In the past Holyrood pupils have secured place-ments at BT, Morgan Stanley, Hampden, Arnold Clark, Glasgow Hilton hotel and Strathclyde and Glasgow University labs. These are just some examples of the Work Experience possibilities that are available to you if you go out and find them!

Timing is vital as the placement must be secured prior to the Christmas holidays as risk assessment procedures are lengthy.

Work Experience Timeline

October 2013

December 2013

March 2014

May 2014

June 2014

April 2014

After School Workshopsapplying for placements, completing professional forms.

All self-found placements must be submitted.Health and Safety check process for self-found placement begins.

S5 World of Work Assembly.

S5 Health and Safety in the workplace assembly.

Distribution of Bus Passes

Work Experience begins the week beginning the 16th June 2014!

S5 Preparation for Work Experience Assembly.Distribution of Log Books.

13 th January 2014 (key information- must attend)Pupil and Parent information evening. Careers, World of Work and Work Experience Fayre (talks from employers / stalls).

When you are out on work experienceYou MUST complete your Log Book each day and get it signed by your supervisor/line manager each day.The Log Book allows you to describe what you have learned, what tasks you have complet-ed and the skills you have gained.When you are back at school, the Log Book will allow you to reflect on the experience you have gained and it is vital to help you write your UCAS personal statement. Your Pastoral Care teacher will request to read your Log Book when completing your UCAS reference.

If you have not received a Log Book or you have lost your copy, you must see Miss MacLellan (Biology 1) prior to going out on work experience.

Holyrood Secondary

Work ExperienceLog Book