Block Work Experience for students at Saltash Community School

At Saltash Community school we use ‘Block’ work experience to enable students to improve their employability skills and to put the knowledge of what they have learnt in Careers, PSHE and Citizenship into practice in a real workplace situation.

What’s in it for me?

Some would say that they are helping to put something back into the system, but there are more benefits than that:

• Work experience can help supervisory skills and provide evidence towards in-house appraisal systems & external management qualifications.
• Many companies find that it motivates their workforce.
• Working through an induction allows an organisation to review their Health and Safety practices.
• Employers help to improve the quality and readiness of young people coming onto the labour market. They build links with local schools which helps to attract young people into jobs.
• Work Experience is a great way tci raise the profile of a company in the local community.

Your work placement should give them an opportunity to work and take on the status of an ’employee’ in the company, taking an active part in the business.

The Approval and Consent Form – What do I need to do now?

• Once you have received the form from us, you will need to complete sections 2 and 3, it is vital a risk assessment is provided (I can provide you with one of these if you do not have one please email tparry@saltashcloud.net).
• Sign the employer agreement on section 3.
• Send the form to the student, and they will return it to me at school.

I appreciate how busy most organisations are but the sooner the form is completed the better for all!

Health and Safety in the Workplace – An employee of Cornwall Education Business Partnership (CEBP) will visit you at some point to make sure you have the necessary health, safety and welfare requirements to enable you to look after the student whilst they are with you. In addition to your risk assessment we will now also require a copy of any Covid policy which you have in place to protect your employees.

We will provide a general health and safety course for the student before they come to you on their placement to make sure they are aware of the specific risks and their control measures. Despite this you should still give the student a health and safety induction to your business on the first morning the student is with you. They will have a logbook in which they should record what they have done and ask you to sign It.

During the week of work experience a member of staff from the school will visit and talk to you and the student to see how things are going. If your placement is out of Cornwall they will contact you by telephone to see that all is well.

Who to contact in School – If you feel that you require any more information or if you need to talk to someone about a student whilst they are on placement with you then please contact: Mrs Tracey Parry on 01752 843715 X 396 or email: tparry@saltashcloud.net

Further Information – The Cornwall Council website mentioned above has information for you to look at if you want to find out more, and it can be found on https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/schools-and-education/education-business-partnership-ebp/work-experience/ > Education & Learning > Education Business Partnership > Work Experience scheme for schools > Employers information

Once again can I say a massive thank you for taking one of our students on a work placement