Work Experience

Work Experience and Placements

At Scarborough Sixth Form College, we believe that meaningful work experience is an essential part of preparing students for their future.

Work experience gives students the opportunity to step beyond the classroom, experience real working environments and develop the skills, confidence and professional behaviours needed for their next steps. It also allows students to explore career ideas, test their interests and develop a better understanding of the opportunities available locally, nationally and beyond.

Our approach is designed to ensure that work experience is meaningful, inclusive and purposeful, rather than simply a placement for the sake of completing hours.

Our commitment

We recognise work experience as a powerful element of education. It can help students to:

• Develop employability and transferable skills, including communication, teamwork, problem-solving and professional behaviours.
• Build confidence, independence and resilience.
• Apply and develop knowledge gained through their course.
• Explore different occupations, sectors and working environments.
• Test career ideas and make more informed decisions about their future.
• Develop a first-hand understanding of Labour Market Information (LMI).
• Build professional networks and relationships with employers.
• Strengthen applications for university, apprenticeships, employment and other future pathways.
• Understand what employers expect from young people entering the workplace.

Work experience can take many forms. This may include a traditional workplace placement, employer visits, projects, volunteering, industry insight activities or high-quality virtual work experience.

Work experience in the Lower Sixth

All Lower Sixth students are expected to complete a minimum of 30 hours of meaningful work experience across the academic year.

Students can achieve this through one or more experiences and may explore different roles, organisations or industries. We encourage students to seek experiences that connect with their interests, career aspirations, subjects or skills they want to develop.

We recommend that students complete at least 20 hours by Easter, with the College retaining time in June to provide further opportunities and support students who have found it difficult to secure or complete their earlier experiences.

Where appropriate, students are encouraged to use free periods, including Wednesday afternoons, to undertake work experience. In some circumstances, high-quality experiences may be completed during timetabled lessons, subject to College approval and the needs of the student, course and employer.

Students are encouraged to take ownership

We want students to develop the confidence and independence to find opportunities for themselves.

Students are encouraged to:

1. Identify an area of interest, career aim or skill they would like to develop.
2. Research potential employers and opportunities.
3. Contact employers and agree an appropriate experience.
4. Add the employer and placement details to Unifrog.
5. Complete the required College processes before starting.
6. Undertake the experience professionally and safely.
7. Reflect on what they have learned and the skills they have developed.
8. Record their experience and learning through the College Careers Portal.

The Careers Team, tutors and other College staff are available to support students throughout this process.

How we support and safeguard students

Student safety and the quality of the experience are central to our approach.

All College-managed work experience is subject to appropriate checks and processes. This includes:

• Safeguarding and risk assessment arrangements.
• Employer checks and appropriate administration.
• Parent/carer agreement where required.
• Monitoring and quality assurance.
• Consideration of individual student needs and accessibility.
• Support from the Careers Team and College staff.

Some placements may require additional checks, including a DBS check. Where this is required, the College will support students through the process.

Students should not begin a work experience placement until the required College processes have been completed and the placement has been approved.

Curriculum placements

For some courses, work experience is a mandatory part of the programme.

Our Curriculum Placement Officers work closely with students and teaching teams to identify and coordinate placements that meet course requirements. Depending on the course, these may take place during dedicated placement weeks or be arranged across the academic year.

Current courses with specific placement requirements include:

• Engineering (double)
• Business (double)
• Fashion
• Health and Social Care (double and triple)
• Sport (triple)
• Travel and Tourism (single and double)

For these students, completing the required placement hours is an important part of successfully completing their course.

Virtual work experience

We recognise that a high-quality experience does not always need to take place in a physical workplace.

Virtual work experience provides students with an accessible and flexible way to explore industries and career pathways that may otherwise be difficult to access.

Through online projects, employer sessions and real-world tasks, students can develop skills such as:

• Communication
• Teamwork
• Problem-solving
• Digital confidence
• Professional communication
• Independent working

Virtual opportunities can also enable students to engage with employers and organisations beyond the local area, helping them to broaden their horizons and discover opportunities they may not otherwise encounter.

Opportunities are regularly shared with students through the College Careers Programme and Microsoft Teams.

Working with employers

Our work experience programme is underpinned by strong relationships with employers and organisations.

We work with organisations across a wide range of sectors, including education, early years, accountancy, law, veterinary services, health and social care, retail, tourism, business and professional services.

We are continually developing our employer network so that students can access a diverse range of experiences and gain insight into the changing world of work.

We particularly value employers who can provide students with meaningful opportunities to contribute, ask questions, develop skills and understand what working in their sector is really like.

Could your organisation offer work experience?

We are always keen to hear from employers who would like to support young people and contribute to their development.

Whether you can offer a traditional placement, a workplace visit, an industry project, mentoring, an employer talk or virtual experience, your involvement can make a significant difference to a student's understanding of the world of work.

If you would like to work with Scarborough Sixth Form College, please contact our Careers Team.

Email: careers@s6f.org.uk