The best advice you can offer students is to "try before you buy"! Often a lot of students will think they like the idea of a certain career, but they don't have the full facts about what the job actually entails, or the long road required to travel to get there!
For this reason, you should always recommend that students gain some firsthand on the job experience. Even if your school doesn't schedule this into the curriculum or school program, many employers will be open to having students on the weekends or in school holiday periods to give them a taste of the industry.
The true value of work experience is to gain a taste-tester of occupations while also helping your students gain workplace confidence, build on their work readiness skills and most importantly build relationships with businesses in the local area. Plus, this is a great way for students to build their resume and also start a list of future referees.
It can be challenging for school leavers if they are looking to join the workforce, especially if they have no work experience or employers that they can list as a referee. Work experience is a great way for students to tackle this problem, providing experience to help them secure an option like a part time job while studying at university or trying to gain a full-time apprenticeship in a trade.
Encourage students to "give it a go" even if they are not sure about what career they want. Work experience will build their confidence, create a sense of belonging and really begin to develop their own career direction.
There are many resources available to assist you with finding available work experience in your local area.
Your students would test drive a car - so make sure they test drive a career
Discover Work Experience - Study Work Grow
This resource has so many options – from government, to farming, to science, finance and much more. It offers opportunities across different states and industries, and matches them according to a preferred location.
Defence Work Experience
The Defence Work Experience Website is committed to providing a national work experience program designed to:
- Contribute to the development of the skills of young people;
- Ease the transition of students into the workplace; and
- Demonstrate the wide variety of interesting careers available within Defence.
Most training institutions such as TAFEs, Private Colleges and Universities will also have programs and lists of willing work experience providers you may be able to access for your students.