Lucy Pilliner, Staff Engagement Manager explains why Work Experience is important and how Katherine Harriet supports Schools and colleges to carry out Work Experience and Apprenticeships within the company.
What is work experience?
Work experience is when you gain practical wisdom with an employer by learning about a particular role, organisation, or career path. Most employers also consider volunteering work and work shadowing as work experience. Young people, career changers and people who want to return to work after a career break can benefit from work experience in different jobs.
What is an Apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship is a paid job where the employee learns and gains valuable experience.
Alongside on-the-job training, apprentices spend at least 20% of their working hours completing classroom-based learning with a college, university or training provider which leads to a nationally recognised qualification.
An apprenticeship includes:
- paid employment with holiday leave
- hands-on-experience in a sector/role of interest
- formal assessment which leads to a nationally recognised qualification
Benefits of an Apprenticeship at Katherine Harriet
We also support Hereford Ludlow College and 6th Form students in their studies, to work alongside their courses to enable them to complete the hours required for placement. This also benefits them as this is also a paid role where students can earn as they learn.
The great benefits of this are that all students will continue to work for Katherine Harriet even after their studies have finished, unless their intention is to move on with another career path, such as Nursing, Occupational Therapy or Mental Health Nurse. There are so many opportunities in the care sector and Katherine Harriet is a good place to start this journey, learning and gaining knowledge and be supported by a brilliant team whether that is in the office environment or meeting and working alongside our Wellbeing Assistants to excel in the career of their choice.
Work Experience
Katherine Harriet supports a number of schools such as Bishops and St Mary’s with students who wish to have a career in the Care Sector, Admin and or Office experience.
Why is work experience important?
Work experience is invaluable in helping you develop your employability skills and make you ready for the world of work. It will improve your interpersonal skills and give you confidence in dealing with your co-workers and meeting strangers.
Work experience should give you: an understanding of the work environment and what employer’s expect of their workers, an opportunity to explore possible career options, increased self-understanding, maturity, independence and self-confidence.
Work Experience placements assist students in their transition from school to work and aim to: provide students with an opportunity to relate school studies with a workplace, give students an insight into the diversity of employees in the workplace and prepare students for the demands and expectations of the working world.
It also helps to explore your strengths and weaknesses and identify the gaps in your skills. By helping students within Katherine Harriet explore the depths of their abilities, work experience can help students to draw a comparison between the skills they possess and those required by a specific job
If you would like to come and work with a dedicated team of WBAs and earn while you learn please come and see Lucy (Staff Engagement Manager) or Jodie (Staff Liaison Officer) on 9, Broad Street, Hereford, HR4 9AP or give us a call on (01432) 483083
