Scottish Government

APPENDIX 3 WORK EXPERIENCE CO-ORDINATOR QUESTIONNAIRE

The Scottish Government has commissioned scoping research on work experience in schools across the country. The main focus of the study is the statutory entitlement to work experience generally undertaken by most pupils in S4 and the findings will feed into the national review of work experience linked to Curriculum for Excellence and Skills for Scotland: A Lifelong Skills Strategy. Your views are particularly important to this exercise and we would be grateful if you would complete this questionnaire and return it Lynne MacDougal at Glasgow University. ( L.Macdougall@lbss.gla.ac.uk) The closing date for return is Friday 13th June.

1: Background details

2: Overview of work experience

a) Please rank the following aims of work experience in order of importance in your view. Please rank 1-5 with 1 being the highest.

b) What would you identify as the top 3 strengths of your area in relation to work experience placements?

c) What 3 development priorities would you identify that would improve the work experience process in your area?

d) What other interventions/programmes are used in your area's schools to prepare young people for work?

e) How do these interventions/programmes compare to work experience in preparing young people for work?

3: Work experience participation in your area

a) How many schools participate in the work experience placement programme in your local authority area?

b) Are there secondary schools which do not participate?

c) If yes how many and why not?

d) Do any non mainstream schools ( e.g. Special Schools, Day Units etc) participate in the work experience placement programme? If so please provide details

e) Do local FE colleges play any role in the work experience placement programme?

f) If so what role do they play?

g) Do private and/or voluntary sector service providers play any part in the work experience placement programme?

h) If so what role do they play?

4: Work Experience opportunities in your area

a) How many employers are on your local database?

b) Which statement do you most agree with ? (tick only one)

c) If the answer is (iii) please provide a reason for your answer

d) What percentage of your participating employers are

e) What percentage of your participating employers are

f) What is the spread of participating employers by sector (number of places)

g) Does the employer profile reflect the opportunities in the local labour market?

h) If not, where are the gaps or surpluses?

i) How well does the employer profile reflect the demand from pupils?

j) If a bad or poor fit, where are the gaps and surpluses?

k. Can you think of alternative arrangements that might help fill any of the gaps?

5: The Work Experience offer

a) How many work placements were organised during the current academic year?

b) What proportion of these (approximately) were arranged by pupils, including through parents, friends or other family members?

c) Which agency currently co-ordinates the work experience programme?

d) Which agency will manage the programme in 2008/09

e) How is the work experience programme co-ordinated? (please tick one)

e) How is the work experience programme structured locally? (please tick one)

f) Why is work experience structured this way in your area?

g) If it is organised on one particular week please when is this - and what is the reason for having it then?

h) How are pupils matched to employers (when the placement is not self-found)? Please tick one)

i) If pupils choose their own work placement through the central/school co-ordinated database, what proportion get their first choice?

j) Does the selection process take account of pupils' own experience of work ( e.g. part time and weekend jobs)?

k) If yes please describe how this is done

l) Does the work experience placement link into pupils' particular vocational interest - e.g. vocational programme being pursued?

m) If yes please describe how this is done

n)Does the work experience placement take into account any volunteering young people are involved in?

o) If yes, how is this done?

p) In 2007/08 what proportion of pupils in the following year groups participated in a work placement experience?

q) What are the reasons for non-participating pupils not accessing a work-placement (please order 1-7 with 1 being highest)

r) Is there any alternative provision for young people who miss out on work placements?

s) If yes, please provide details

t) Some groups of young people (including from workless households, ethnic minorities, with learning disabilities or who are cared for and looked after) often face barriers to accessing work experience? Are there groups in your area who experience access difficulties?

u) If yes, what are the barriers?

v) Are these young people targeted for particular support in your area?

w) If yes, what form does this support take?

x) Have you any suggestions about what more can be done to provide opportunities for young people who miss out on work placements?

y) In terms of pupils' preparation for work experience placements, which of the statements below best describes your authority's approach? (tick one)

z) Which of the following methods are commonly used to prepare pupils in advance of the placement? (tick all that apply)

aa) Is there a formal written agreement clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the employer, the school and the young person?

If yes, please forward a copy of this toL.Macdougall@lbss.gla.ac.uk.

ab) During the work placement, how is the pupil usually supported (tick all that apply):

ac) Does the young person keep a record of their work placement experience?

ad) If so can we see a copy of the template?

If yes please e-mail to L.Macdougall@lbss.gla.ac.uk

ae) On completion of the placement, how are pupils helped to draw the learning points from the experience ? (tick all that apply)

af) On completion of work experience, do pupils have a chance to comment on the strengths and weaknesses of their placement?

(ag) If yes, describe how feedback is shared with employers to improve relevance and quality of future placements

ah) Are any mechanisms in place to communicate with parents about work experience placements ( i.e. its purpose, format)?

ai) If yes, please provide details of these mechanisms

aj) Can you suggest ways in which parents could be more effectively involved?

6: The Employer Experience

a) Do employers have any involvement in the selection process of work placement pupils?

b) If yes, what form does this take? (tick all that apply)

c) What 3 attitudes do employers want most from pupils on work experience placements ( e.g. punctuality, willingness to learn etc)?

d) Are employers specifying core/basic skills required (literacy, numeracy, ICT, teamworking etc)?

e) How are employers usually supported in advance of the work experience placement? (tick all that apply)

f) How are employers supported during the work placement experience? (tick all that apply)

g) What form does this support take? (tick all that apply)

h) Is there evidence that insurance costs, child protection and rising health and safety issues are deterring employers from offering placements?

i) If yes, please provide details

j) Has your authority taken steps to tackle these issues?

k) If yes to the last question please describe the steps

l) How do you measure employers' satisfaction levels in relation to the work placement programme? (tick as many as apply)

m) Do you recognise - either formally or informally - employers' commitment to hosting work experience placements?

n) If yes, how do you do this?

7: Benefits from the work experience placement programme

a) Does your area assess the effectiveness of your work experience placement programme?

b) If yes, which of the following methods does your authority use? (tick all that apply)

c) If there are evaluation reports, can these be made available to our study team?

If yes please e-mail to L.Macdougall@lbss.gla.ac.uk

d) What, in your view are the top 3 benefits from work experience placements for pupils, schools and employers (or tick no benefit)

e) On a scale of 1-5 where 1 is strongly agree and 5 is strongly disagree, to what extent do you agree with the following statements about work experience in your area?

8: Making things work better

a) What improvements are necessary to make the work experience programme of more benefit to young people?

b) What barriers are there to making these improvements?

c) How could the work experience programme be improved to make it easier for employers to get involved?

d) Are there any barriers to making these improvements?

e) Please respond to the following statements (one response to each)

f) Finally, have you any other comments?

Thank you participating in this study. Your input is appreciated and we will notify you once our final report has been completed.

Eddy Adams
Study Team Manager
May 2008