Experience Works!, acts as the central repository for work experience opportunities for the region. It provides a consistent, knowledgeable, experienced and fully inclusive service to users who are part of the region wide Employability Partnership, including:
- 16 secondary schools;
- 2 additional support needs secondary schools;
- Other educational support services;
- Further and Higher educational establishments;
- 3rd Sector organisations such as the Princes Trust;
- Private companies who interact with the Employability Partnership;
- Employability and Skills Service
with referrals into placements, support in finding placements and risk assessment capabilities for self-found placements to ensure that they remain safe and sustainable. The Work Experience Co-ordinator also acts as a liaison service for providers ensuring that their requirements are addressed as well as raising awareness of opportunities they present.
The Unit, has the responsibility for creating and delivering 24 paid work experience placements within the Local Authority for
Looked-After Young People between the ages of 16 to 25 in fulfilling an objective from the Council’s Corporate Parenting Strategy. This will provide 8 fully funded placements each year paid at the Living Wage until March 2018.
Regular meetings take place with all stakeholders to ensure that the Unit is meeting their needs. Strong evidence for this comes from the schools where there was significant risk to the provision of opportunities due to the long lead in times for risk assessments. This led to the development of a group of trained assessors able to turn assessments around quickly thereby assisting schools to develop a local pool of high quality opportunities.
The Unit has developed the value of work experience through the introduction of a bespoke Dumfries and Galloway employability award as part of the delivery. The framework for this award is developed in cognisance with the needs of employers and is endorsed by the Scottish Chambers of Commerce.