Work experience is a fantastic opportunity for all pupils, who have the entitlement to access a minimum of one week placement in the senior phase of school.  It can give real insight into the day to do workings of different roles and allow the pupils to develop many skills they can take into further education or the workplace in the future. Meldrum Academy has a set work experience week every September that pupils can access however there are possibilities for placements to take place outwith this week also.  Work Experience is arranged in partnership between pupils, parents, school and the work experience unit at Aberdeenshire Council.

 

The Work Experience week – every September

We begin organising this in January for going out in September with deadlines that need to be met.  Pupils who wish to go on placement will be given a ‘self found’ orange form that needs to be partly filled in by themselves but also their potential employer.  Placements can be with family, friends or companies you may have interest in who are willing to accommodate pupils. It is up to pupils/parents to find these placements.  It is the pupils responsibility to return this form to school by the set deadline and then we hand everything over to the work experience unit who will carry out health & safety and insurance checks in advance of the placement.  Once everything is ready to go the school will give you all the documentation you need including a work experiment diary to record all aspects of your experience.

 

Flexible Placements

These can happen outwith the work experience week.  It may be that an opportunity for a weeks placement comes up that you just cannot turn down or indeed you have free time on your timetable in S6 and wish to perhaps spend a day or half a day week on placement.  The whole procedure is exactly the same except you will use a blue Flexible placement form and you must allow 6 weeks from submission of this form until the placement can start.

 

All pupils are entitled to one week placement but if there is the opportunity it is possible for pupils to go out on placement more than once. For any placement potential employers will be informed of any additional support needs that a pupils may have and any supports required.  Please also note that it is the pupils responsibility to make their way to and from their place of employment.  For any queries – please contact Pastoral Care.

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https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/schools/work-placement-unit/