Becoming an employer of choice.

If you’re looking to become an employer of choice, then creating work placement opportunities may be the ideal solution. We piloted our namesake project in December 2020 and have successfully worked with around 70 young people over the past 9 months. We used a targeted and coordinated approach to provide work experience, Traineeships, Kickstart placements and Apprenticeships for residents particularly impacted by the social and economic impacts of Covid-19.

Like many, we had to adapt to an online offering and piloted our first virtual work experience in February. This increased accessibility meaning we were able to reach nine students from a variety of schools across the region. By increasing our student to staff ratio and removing the obstacle of transport we were able to host a diverse group of young people. 100% of our participants said that the experience would help them with their next steps, so we wanted to continue the inclusive outreach that a virtual offering allowed for.

“I enjoyed the entire experience; it was thoroughly interesting learning about all the different roles within the council.”

“This was a fantastic opportunity.”

Work experience can also be a useful tool for demystifying your sector and encouraging curiosity. 94% of students answered yes or maybe to be more likely to consider a career in local government following their work experience with us. If you want to future-proof your business by attracting young people into your line of work, work experience is a fantastic tool for this.

Once you have attracted talent, succession pathways are key to retaining it. We have found great success in offering traineeships to enthusiastic young people, leading to apprenticeships. It gives both us as employers and the young person the chance to see if they are a good fit prior to committing to a longer paid qualification. We currently have a young person employed with us who completed work experience with the council in year 10, then completed a traineeship and is now undertaking an apprenticeship. By following this pathway, he was able to identify his interests and acquire the skills and knowledge that help him to thrive at work. There are currently many government initiatives and schemes available to create opportunities and pathways that will best suit your business needs allowing you to identify and nurture this talent.

100% of staff felt that their participation was a good use of their time.

100% of staff felt that the students exceeded their expectations.

Work placements are often viewed negatively as using up valuable time and resource by employers. In fact, we found that 100% of staff felt that their involvement with them was a good use of their time and they felt more enthused about their own work. Furthermore, 100% of staff felt that the students exceeded their expectations, challenging misconceptions about the drive and ability of young people. Placements allow a fresh perspective and a space for existing employees to practice their own management and mentoring. The following quotes are from staff who participated in work placement opportunities:

• “It shows that some young people really do want to learn about their possible futures and helping them is rewarding.”
• “It enabled me to have a positive reflection on my career.”
• “I was so impressed with the standard of the work of the students.”
• “The students were outstanding!”

100% of staff felt more confident and willing to work with a young person following their experience, so if you are willing to take the first step, we can support you to unlock this multitude of benefits for you and your business. If you would like to find out more or discuss how you can create work placement opportunities, then please get in touch at skillssupport@n-somerset.gov.uk.