WHAT ARE THE POSITIVES OF OFFERING WORK EXPERIENCE TO YOUNG PEOPLE?

I’m sure many of us have had the opportunity to partake in some form of work experience throughout our educational years. Usually, this is an opportunity given to students who have just finished their GCSE’s, to get involved in some work experience, as this is the time when they need to choose their A Levels, and get a rough idea of what they want to potentially do as a career.

Work experience is great for many reasons. Firstly, it gives young people an opportunity to sample what their future could be like, and lets them see if the career they have in mind, is something that they actually want to do. Work experience could be such a great experience for the student, that it may really make them determined to succeed and do well as they know the career path they want to take now. It is also something for them to put onto their CV to show future employers that they have some form of work experience in that particular sector. You never know, the work experience could go so well that the employer may want the student to come back when they have finished their studies.

So, what are some of the positives of offering work experience to young people, as an employer?

Firstly, you are giving back to the industry and helping young people prepare for the world of work. You’re also helping them to shape their perception of the world of work, and know what is to be expected of them when they do start working, as you are probably their first experience of a working environment.

Providing work experience to young people can also be beneficial to your other employees. Giving them the opportunity to be a leader and a mentor to young people, can really help them develop their leadership skills. It can also be beneficial in that they can bring a new perspective and new ideas to your company. If your company has a target audience of younger people, then having a young person in your office for a week is a great opportunity to get their ideas and opinions.

It is also some great branding for your company. Having an interest in young people and providing them with this opportunity, can really make your company stand out for all the right reasons. If you provide the young person with a really great experience, they may tell friends and family, and you could have more and more people wanting to work at your company.

Finally, it costs your company absolutely nothing. Getting so many benefits from this experience for free, means that you really have no reason not to do it!

Here at Industrial Personnel, we often have young people joining us for work experience, and it is a really rewarding opportunity for both the student and ourselves!