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Re-imagining work experience in the twenty-first century Anthony Mann Education and Employers Taskforce www.educationandemployers.org. 1984. Nothing to me about my life. Work experience endures. 1974: Department for Education and Science
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Re-imagining work experience in the twenty-first century Anthony Mann Education and Employers Taskforce www.educationandemployers.org
1984 Nothing to me about my life...
Work experience endures 1974: Department for Education and Science Work experience “should have value for pupils of varying ability and aptitudes and should neither be designed as vocational training nor aimed at a limited range of ability.” 1986: 66% pupils do a placement 1995: 95% pupils do a placement 2004: Statutory requirement for WRL Young adults 2011 NSSS : 92% SSS : 88% Indep : 84%
Gove/Wolf v Twigg/Husbands Compulsory work experience will be reintroduced in schools under a Labour plan to get teenagers ready for the jobs market, the Daily Telegraph has learnt. 14-16 DfE – requires that ‘work experience will form an integral part of the 16-19 study programmes from September 2013.’ ‘high quality and meaningful work experience ... to give the student a valuable experience of the work environment and to develop their employability skills.’
Three things about work experience • It’s not just about work experience
WX is great, but according to young adults... Type of activity Getting a job Deciding on a career Getting into HE Work experience 27% (9%) 58% (20%) 27% (7%) Career talks (1-2 times) 33% (4%) 55% (8%) 32% (6%) Career talks (3 and over) 54% (16%) 84% (28%) 52% (20%) Mentoring (All types) 60% (23%) 78% (28%) 62% (18%) Enterprise (Short) 25% (5%) 35% (8%) 28% (4%) Enterprise (Long) 34% (7%) 50% (3%) 50% (8%)
Three things about work experience 2. It really is for higher achievers and we do them a disservice if we do not realise that
It really is for higher achievers... “Perhaps you are a barrister who can show a young Wykenhamist something of chamber life?” (£800!?) Its time to broaden the debate around access.
Three things about work experience 3. It’s time to understand the link between WX and attainment
NFER (2012). Survey of 700 KS4/5 teaching staff with experience of pupils undertaking work experience. UK. (Mann 2012) “What impact, if any, do work experience placements have on the motivation of KS4/5 pupils at your school?” More motivated (total): 68% Much more motivated: 17% Less motivated: 6% “Focusing on pupils who are currently achieving near the borderline of key attainment targets (such as 5 GCSEs A*-C or equivalent), to what extent do you think that work experience placements increase these individuals' chances of reaching these targets?” Increases chances (total): 50% Greatly increases chances: 7% Reduces chances: 6% Pearson/Education and Employers Taskforce (unpublished – fieldwork 2012). Survey of 366 KS4/5 teaching staff. “What impact, if any, do work experience placements have, in general, on the motivation of KS4/5 pupils at your school/college?” More motivated (total) : 82% Much more motivated : 25% Less motivated : 2% “Focusing on pupils who are currently achieving near the borderline of key attainment targets (such as 5 GCSES A*-C), to what extent do you think that work experience placements increase these individuals’ chances of reaching these targets?” Increases chances (total): 64% Greatly increases chances: 13% Reduces chances : 3%
“If school was like this, I’d love it” Congratulations! You were right and more and more people are agreeing with you. Please don’t stop thinking about work experience, who it is for, what it can provide for young people and employers, how its insights and experiences can be fairly and efficiently delivered. Work experience is a complicated, sophisticated, remarkable thing: it is to be respected, cherished and valued.
Stay in touch. www.educationandemployers.org/research.aspx www.inspiringthefuture.org Anthony.Mann@educationandemployers.org