Lane 3 RESOURCE Host a Student in Your Workplace

Lane 3_RESOURCE_Host a student in your workplace

Whether you decide to host a student through work experience, GenR8 or an apprenticeship/traineeship, there are a few things you should consider to prepare your business.

Get ready (checklist)

☐ Decide on what type of engagement best suits your business.

• Work Experience –get in contact with your partnered school to let them know you are interested in taking on a student for work experience
• GenR8 – The Department of Education and Training (DETE) is the initial point of contact between the school and the business, but you can speak with your school directly if you wanted to partner with them, then speak with DETE.
• School-based Apprenticeship or Traineeship - make contact with your partnered school and ask them to advertise the apprentice or trainee position. For more information on hiring an apprentice or trainee, visit the Apprenticeships Info website -

☐ Identify a central coordinator to oversee this school engagement. This coordinator will be the point of contact for people within the business, the school, the students and their parents.

☐Identify and ask for champions and/or mentors within the business who will work with the students while on site. Talk to them first! Make sure they understand their role in supporting the young person. Be clear about your expectations around how this role will work with their normal work duties.

☐ Encourage a group discussion to come up with ways to showcase all sides of your business and identify opportunities for the students to develop their skills.

☐ Outline how young people will be involved and supported in this opportunity.

☐ Ensure everyone involved knows what you are doing and why.. Explain the benefits for your business (even use those in this factsheet) in emails, employee newsletters, notices in lunch rooms, flyers – whatever communication channel you normally use to send messages across the whole of your business.

☐ Invite interested students on a site tour so they learn more about the business and what the work placement will entail.

☐ Consider adding some information to your website to show your business is open to engaging with youth, (for example, add the names of the school/s you have partnered with, case studies on your engagement) so young people see this when they are looking at the businesses and are encouraged to contact you.

Get set

☐ Create a contacts list containing details of key employees, school contacts, students involved (once confirmed) and details for their parents.

☐ Plan which parts of the business the students will get to experience and who will manage them while on site. Ensure you talk to those who will be working with the students to ensure that business needs are minimally impacted – for example there may be times where it is extremely busy in one area and having a student there at that time would have a major impact on productivity.

Go!

Below is a basic outline of how you might get started with a student who is undertaking a work placement in your business.

DAY 1: INDUCTION AND ORIENTATION

☐ Organise an induction and welcome for the students, if appropriate, use a condensed version of your existing induction process or follow some tips below. You could also invite the student’s parents to this so they can be involved in the process.

☐ Give an overview of the business including what the business does and where you operate.

☐ Introduce the key people from your business that the student will be reporting to while on site.

☐ Conduct a site tour and outline the areas the students will get to experience.

☐ Set out expectations such as hours of work and following OH&S procedures.

☐ Consider having a morning or afternoon tea to give students the opportunity to meet and talk with employees.

☐ Give the student some basic ‘know-hows’ to help them fit in, like where to go locally for lunch or what to do if you need to leave early or if you miss the bus and are running late.

☐ Give some thought to providing a work shirt or high visibility vest so the students feels part of the team.

DAY 2

☐ Cycle the student through the areas identified by the team. Ensure you give the student the time and opportunity to understand and work in the each area.

☐ Set up a regular catch up with the student for checking in and asking questions (daily or weekly at a minimum).

☐ Allocate students to a particular workgroup

☐ Go over procedure manuals and further OH&S if needed.

DAY 3

Keep in regular contact with your champions/mentors and students to ensure the placement is running smoothly.

AT PROGRAM END

At the end of the student placement, make sure you communicate with your workforce again about end of the program, the realised benefits and thank all of the team who made it such a success.

☐ Ask your team to complete an evaluation form.

☐ Ask the student to fill in an evaluation form.

☐ From the above identify what worked well and what didn’t so you can refine the work placement for next time.

• Feel free to shorten or extend to host a student, this is only a guide and needs to work for your business and the student
• Make sure you provide your final checklist or activities each day to your partnered school to ensure they are aware of what the student will be participating in.
• Hosting a student or group of student is a good taste tester for them to make an informed decision in either choosing further studies or participating in GenR8.