Work Experience
Work Experience and work based project (under construction)
In this unit, you will develop your planning, organisational and personal skills by arranging your own work experience placement. You will set personal goals for developing your skills, reflect on what you have learned and relate this to your future plans.
You will have the opportunity to develop and maintain working relationships during your placement as well as undertaking a work based project.
So there are additional challenges that you will need to be prepared to deal with:
- Identifying, selecting and negotiating an appropriate work placement with an employer
- Agreeing a suitable programme and work based project with your employer
- Planning, organising and evaluating your own learning outcomes
The work based project can be:
- A study of career paths, training and qualification requirements
- A technical study of the processes and products of an organisation
- An investigation of a particular job carried out through work shadowing
- Any other relevant project approved by your tutor
You will be expected to organise all of this by yourself. Your tutor/teacher may act as your mentor to provide support and encouragement, but their main role will be as an adviser and to act as a resource for:
- planning your placement and your work based project
- developing your interview skills
- support with time management
- advice on health and safety issues
Recording evidence
You will keep a record of all your planning and activities as evidence and you must keep a record of any:
- self-assessment exercises
- planning activities for your work experience
- log book(s), recording your activities during your work experience
- work based project report
- final report(s) giving your reflections on your work experience placement and how it has helped your personal, social and career development.
Unit overview
The work experience placement should be a minimum of 60 hours and will normally take place in the one location. At least 10 of these hours will be spent on a work based project.
To achieve this unit, you have to show that you know, understand or can achieve specific learning outcomes.
The learning outcomes for this unit are (click to expand):
Arrange work experience linked to personal goals
For this outcome you will first complete an initial self-assessment. This will clearly identify your skills and qualities so that you can then set realistic personal goals to help you to make the most of your work experience placement.
For your placement you will:
- research the information and resources needed for choosing a suitable work experience placement and match this with personal goals
- devise and implement a detailed step by step application process
- plan, organise and effectively negotiate your work placement contract, including your work based project
- keep a record of your plans and how you deal with problems and consequences related to different choices
To show what you have learned you should keep a record.
No forms added for this outcome:
If you wish, you can complete the following activity(s) to support your learning and use the blog to record evidence.
Undertake a programme of work experience
You will undertake your planned programme of work experience where you will be able to practise vocational skills. You will also complete your work based project that you have planned in advance.
You will need to demonstrate your ability to :
- Work through your programme of activities
- Build in opportunities for recording and reviewing your progress
- Remain flexible, adapt to changes of circumstance and deal effectively with any problems as they arise
- Be aware of health and safety procedures, and insurance requirements
- Present your project in a written and/or audio visual format
No forms added for this outcome:
If you wish, you can complete the following activity(s) to support your learning and use the blog to record evidence.
Develop and maintain working relationships
For this outcome you will concentrate on the skills and qualities that enable highly effective working relationships:
- Seeking and evaluating comments on your progress
- Initiate working cooperatively with others
- Changing behaviour and attitudes where appropriate
- Anticipate and respond to the needs of others
- Seek and evaluate advice
- Show evidence of volunteering ideas, information and judgement
- Present a professional manner in a variety of different circumstances
No forms added for this outcome:
If you wish, you can complete the following activity(s) to support your learning and use the blog to record evidence.
Evaluate and review
In this unit you have been developing the skills to become an independent learner. An important part of this is to be able to reflect on your experiences, and to be able to evaluate and learn from them.
As you progress through your placement, you will develop your skills, knowledge and experience. You must be able to reflect on your experiences and say how and in what ways your work experience has contributed to your personal, social and career development.
No forms added for this outcome:
If you wish, you can complete the following activity(s) to support your learning and use the blog to record evidence.
