Work experience is an important part of your child’s school experience. Your child works with a business or service for a short time. It usually happens during Year 9 or Year 10.
Finding work experience
It’s important to find a placement that best suits your child. While schools can help, parents usually find work experience placements for their child. Here are a few starting points:
- Start talking to your child about where they would like to apply for work experience.
- Work with the year-level coordinator or careers advisor to find out if they have any contacts in your child’s interest area.
- Use your own contacts to find a suitable workplace for your child.
What to consider
Your child’s Student Support Group meetings are a good place to discuss what adjustments may need to be made, and how the school can support your child to have a positive work experience.
Work experience is often done as a one-week block. You can ask for reasonable adjustments that will help your child, such as shorter days or a half day each week for a few weeks.
You can ask for your child to be given tasks in small steps and to be given instructions in writing.
Career advisors can help set up students at the start of work experience with what they need.
Getting ready
Your child might find it helpful to practice a few things before their work experience starts. This might include trying on uniform or safety gear at home, or going for a drive to the work experience location, to get familiar. It can also include talking about the different things your child will do during their placement, and what will happen every day.
It could also be a good idea to prepare an ‘About Me’ profile, with useful information about your child to share with the employer, and other employees who will be interacting with them.
There is an online learning module for students with disability called A Job Well Done, to help prepare for work experience and understand occupational health and safety.
It is helpful to make sure there is a key contact person at the work experience placement who your child knows who to go to for help, as well as a backup, in-case they are not available.
Reflect and celebrate
Take time to celebrate this achievement together. Reflect on what went well, what was challenging, and what you might do differently next time. Encourage your child to take pride in what they’ve achieved.
Useful links
Senior school options
A Job Well Done
Everyone can work