Work experience, worth the effort?

It got us thinking about how important work experience is to this age group (age 15 / year 10). Being a small, and very busy, team we were concerned about the distracting impact on our work schedules, but we were committed to providing Lewis a valuable snapshot into working life.

What we didn’t expect was how much we gained from the experience.

Being a small team, it was a challenge to incorporate Lewis into the working day. However, it was such a positive experience it made us realise how valuable such exposure and knowledge is for young people facing life changing decisions.

Lewis spent a week in the studio shadowing the team and gaining insight into the various branding agency roles. Lewis’s questions and viewpoint got us all looking at projects from different perspectives and provided a great opportunity to re-think how we target younger consumers.

We got as much from the experience as Lewis did and at the end of the week were so glad we said yes, instead of the all too easy excuses and the ultimate ‘no’.

According to Coleshill School, two-thirds of pupils struggle to get work experience places and up to a third end up without any place at all. This is a massive missed opportunity for pupils and businesses alike.

Schools budget cuts have been hitting the headlines recently with the impact on Birmingham schools being a very real threat to the education of our young people.

Work experience has taken an even further step back as it’s not part of the core curriculum, but this is hugely damaging to our future workforce. Business leaders are the first to moan about ‘ill prepared and unsuitable skills’ of school leavers but few are willing to help build those skill sets. As a result, the skills gap is widening even more.

Most employers look for candidates with experience as well as academic achievement so work placements have increasing importance in securing jobs.

It’s a fact that students who experience work placements go onto achieve higher grades and better degrees. 

It’s clear many other businesses could also embrace these positives. We have raised our reputation and profile on a local level. It’s great PR story with a ‘feel good’ factor both externally and internally. We’ve also built further links with local people and businesses, but most of all we’ve enjoyed watching Lewis flourish in a supportive working environment and seen the impact we’ve had on his confidence and life by saying ‘yes’.

So, before you make excuses and say ‘No’, think twice about the influence you have over the future workforce generation, particularly in sectors that are experiencing skills shortages and say ‘yes’, you may be surprised what you’ll gain.

MD of PLOTT – Anna – recently ran a personal branding workshop at The Coleshill School, working with students to understand what it takes to create a great brand. The PLOTT team also work with The Ahead Partnership who connect businesses and communities to create social and economic change.

With the new apprenticeship schemes coming into play in 2017 the next generation will be experiencing the working environment at a much younger age, let’s set them up for success and give them the experience they need to be great!

We often wax lyrical about the benefits of building an Employer Branding and truly believe this ‘grass roots’ investment forms part of your culture and character of your business. If you need a helping hand and not sure where to start, give us a call on 01675 434583 or email anna@plottcreative.co.uk to see where we can support you.