work experience - huh!

[jack daniels]

I'm very annoyed/angry at the moment.
My son has just done 2 weeks of work exp, he has worked bl00dy hard and come home tired & aching.
I know it's an insight into the 'working world' but what has driven me mad is..............

They 'bang on' about Fair trade, sweatshops, buying so that you know your money is going to the providers as it should etc....... you get the drift!

Then for 2 weeks of every year, they send school children out on 'work experience' after applying for the job, interviews etc...... and then NO PAY, hardly a break and why do they think it's ok to do this?????

Last year my older son got a �10 gift voucher which I know they don't have to give anything, but am I the only one who thinks this is wrong in all senses? surely they deserve minimum wage or a little less?
How is it work exp if the part of getting paid is missed out?

*huge sigh later*

I've got it off my chest now

any opinions out there????

[craft1948]

well I'm sorry jack.......I don't doubt that your son worked hard but I used to dread the work experience youngsters coming into my office each year. It made my life hell as I not only had to do my normal work but explain everything to them as well. Consequently everything took twice as long.

[tamborine]

ours spend time skiving.....on mobile fones etc. Break dryers & washing machines; whinge of back-ache from sweeping, worst soak clients! They get free styling/lunch/refreshments/travel exes and bonus �50 end of week. Gratitude - wots that?

[Postdog]

The thing here is experience. If they get experience that work is hard and employers can be unfair, that's good experience surely?

[caththecrazy]

We've all been through it - but not be fair but it is the harsh reality of life at work

[jack daniels]

thanks for your input - it's good to hear the views from the 'other side' too.

they've done nothing but sing praises for him, said how hard working he is etc...

still think they derserve something

[brenda]

certainly --a glowing reference would be a start so they could use this and show this in the future.

[craft1948]

My company used to give them gift vouchers (which they could choose themselves) if feedback on them had been good. Their records were kept by HR for 2 years in case they applied for a full-time job. I have known several cases of work experience youngsters being taken on and the company paying them to go through university engineering degree courses, so if they were good they benefited in the end.

[caththecrazy]

That's nice to hear Craft - my hubby was asked by a local lad if he could do works experience in the garage but hubby said it involved too much red tape insurance for a minor etc etc which was a shame.

[jack daniels]

My son actually approached the company to ask if they'd consider him for work exp as they haven't done it before.
They run 2 places (my son's interested in catering) and together with the school & the red tape they went ahead.
They're a very busy place and supply a service delivering food too.

[dot.haukes]

What did your son think about his experience then ? Did he have the chance to get into the routine of being in a work environement rather than school? It is all about helping them realise that they will be out there amongst all sorts of people with alot of different attitudes and responsibilities, school is quite a simple process compared to the experience of the workplace. i bet he was just starting to see some results when his experience was over.

[DEN53]

They did'nt have work experience when I was at school back in 190000000 - you had two choices at secondary school - typing and office practice and mothercraft for the girls and woodwork/metalwork for the boys. ha ha ha

I have taken on work experience youngsters in the office I used to work in and they were all lovely kids, willing to learn. In fact they showed some of the permanent staff up !!

My boss gave them �50.00 when they left after 2 weeks.

[bigmamma]

Hope your son follows his chosen career Jack , all the best .
My work experience was up at the local hospital feeding the patients on the geriatric ward .

[Buenchico]

I've had to try to find places for youngsters on work experience. I once managed to get every single person in my class fixed up except for one lad. That was particularly frustrating as, like your son, he'd gone out and found his own place which was agreed by the school, only to be let down at the last minute.

In between teaching, preparing lessons, marking exams and classwork, leading the school's first aid team, running three school cricket teams, dealing with pastoral problems, chasing up absences and countless other duties, I made 237 phone calls before I found a work experience place for one pupil. (I'd already made well over a thousand for the rest of the class).

While I can see the point of your post, I'd ask you to consider just how much harder it would have been for me to find places for all of my class if I'd also had to get employers to part with some money.

[mackak17]

work experience is hard as it is time for the paid workers to do sod all whilst the kids do everything for 2 weeks.

[devil99]

I took my son out of W.E. after the first week, he wanted to do joinery but that one got cancelled, then he was going to do building work, which he was looking forward to, that got cancelled, so he ends up in a factory punching holes in sheets of metal all day, eating his lunch on his own cos they made him feel so unwelcome, and coming home in tears in the end :-(. So i told school all the story and he stayed at home the 2nd week, school was understanding and have took this company off the list, i also rang the manager and told him about it, he was unaware there was even a W,E. person there!!! unbelievable, its a con to get some work done for nowt.

[jack daniels]

hi dot - he would've preffered somewhere in a kitchen doing more preppy stuff, where he was is a sandwich place & so ended up doing more fillings, making sandwiches etc....
I know he chose it himself but the other choice was working somewhere where the chef thought he was Gorden Ramsey - with the colourful language & reducing you to tears.

oh devil that's horrid - hope it doesn't put him off too much.

craft - i think thats good

DEN - I didn't have work exp either - it was an in built thing at the college itself (spent 2 weeks doing 'officy' things)

Hi mamma - I think he's going to stuck to catering.

hi Buenchico - I think it's great what you do for them but I think it should be legislation/compulsory that the kids get paid for work exp. - keep it up. thanks Chris

mac - my son was doing just as much as everyone else - they're a really busy place