National Work Experience Quality Standard

Stephen Gardner

CEO Fair Train

Why is work experience so important

• Clear evidence it helps young people find work

• Funding moving towards employers and employment outcomes

• National focus on reducing youth unemployment

• LEP priorities for delivering solutions that lead to employment for young people

Why Have a Standard?

QUALITY •Ensures students get a good experience•There was no definition of “Good Quality”•OfSted evidence shows quality is very variable•Creates consistency across your organisation and employers

PUBLIC CONFIDENCE•media criticism is causing employers to pull out of offering work experience •Differentiates you as a good quality provider•BUILDS LOYALTY•all providers looking for good quality employers.•Youth Contract, Talent match, Traineeships, Schools, LEP initiatives etc….

Examples of Recent Coverage

• Boycott Workfare: “Traineeships – re-branding, privatising and lengthening a workfare scheme”

• Newsnight: “Kwik Fit’s unpaid Traineeship labelled as “unsatisfactory”

• Twitter: “National unpaid Work Skills show 2013” – Traineeships”

Quality Standard and Frameworks

• For Training Providers and Employers

• Built on good practice wherever it is found

• Overseen by Steering Group made up of key organisations and individuals from the Sector

• Developmental – you can influence future development

• Backed by an independent Complaints Service

What The Frameworks Cover

Confirm it is a voluntary activity•Organisation

– Preparing the systems to support WE

•Planning the Placement– Ensuring young person and employer are prepared

•Starting the Placement– Good induction vital

•The Placement•Conducting Reviews•End of Placement … and afterwards

Frameworks at Three Levels

• Gold,

• Silver,

• Bronze

• Key criteria for good quality

• Enable organisations at all levels to sign up now and aspire to higher levels

• Independent Complaints Service

Adopting the Standard

• Easy and aspirational

• Adopt now

• Self assess and record level

• Use and publicise Quality Standard Branding

• Agree aspirational level and timescale

• “GOLD Club” share good practice and develop Standard

Who Should Adopt?

You

Your Sub-contractors – you want to know your quality is consistent

Your employers – consistency and reputation

Who has adopted?Oct 2013 to Feb 2014 250+ organisations

Colleges, including

Bury Chichester Burton and Leek

Sheffield Hereward North Warwickshire and Hinckley

Derby Henley South Leicestershire

Leicester Kirklees Wirral Metropolitan

South Tyneside Treloar Central College Nottingham

Employers includingBritish Red Cross, World Wildlife Fund, Viridian Housing, Spirit Pub Company, Places for People, Age Concern, B&M, Babington, City West Housing Trust, Headway, Cheshire, MIND, Wetherby,

Councils, LEPs includingLancashire, Torridge, South Tyneside, South Somerset, North Dorset, Kirklees, Doncaster, Manchester, North Bristol NHS Trust

Work Experience Week13th to 17th October 2014

• Celebrate the benefits of work experience to young people and employers with the aim of recruiting more to participate

• National support from Ministers, policy makers, funders, employers offering WE and providers arranging it.

• Get involved:– Pledge support to the aims– Organise events to promote WEW– Publish case studies showing benefits – video diaries– Work with media – good news stories

www.giveyouthachance.com

Fairtrain.org