Policy overview
Purpose
Work experience introduces young people to the work environment. It can be a valuable part of their education and supports our ambition to recruit the best talent to deliver services to our community.
At Lincolnshire County Council, we encourage and promote quality work experience placements. These are for young people in education aged 14 - 18 and up to age 25 for a care leaver.
Young people in Lincolnshire are the future workforce. It is of great value to us, as a major employer, to encourage and support them. We aim to provide placements that allow them to develop and learn.
Our service areas will help young people and care leavers to:
- enhance their knowledge of the range of career opportunities available
- gain an insight into work and the skills and attributes they need to succeed
Work experience programmes
Work experience programmes with Lincolnshire County Council include-:
- insight days
- in-person work experience placements
- technical-level industry placements (T-Levels)
We will also include new programmes announced that meet our objectives to provide impactful experiences of work for young people and to ensure that we recruit the best talent to deliver our services.
Work experience opportunities are offered at planned points throughout the year and are advertised on the early careers page. This approach helps ensure that opportunities are accessible to all eligible young people across our communities and supports a fair and consistent application process.
By coordinating programmes at key points during the year, the council can balance service delivery requirements with its commitment to providing meaningful, structured, and high-quality work experience. This enables service areas to offer placements that provide valuable learning, development, and insight into careers within Lincolnshire County Council.
We will publish details of available programmes, eligibility criteria, and application arrangements through the early careers page and other appropriate communication channels.
Principles
The Department for Education (DfE) defines work experience as “a placement on an employer’s premises in which a student carries out a particular task or duty, or range of tasks and duties, with the emphasis on the learning aspects of the experience.”
Meaningul work experience is:
- purposeful, substantial and offers challenge. It is relevant to a young person's studies or career aspirations.
- managed by a supervisor. This ensures that students get a learning experience suited to their needs.
- structured to provide tangible outcomes for both the student and the council.
- clear about the roles, duties and expectations of both the student and the council.
Priority areas
The council will provide placements for looked after children and care leavers. We embrace our role as the 'corporate parent' and our duty to looked after children. This includes those who have left care up to the age of 25.
We view work experience as an opportunity for young people in education and care leavers. They get to learn about what we do and understand the careers and positions that there are.
We prioritise placements in areas where:
- it is hard to recruit to
- it is difficult to retain staff
- there is a skills shortage
This allows both the council and students to gain experience where there may be future jobs.
The talent and early careers team co-ordinates work experience placements within the council. The team liaises with council service areas to put programmes in place. They will establish these in an effective and efficient manner.
To contact the team, email earlycareers@lincolnshire.gov.uk.
Placement information
Insight days
Student groups are invited to attend themed insight days designed to provide an introduction to specific career sectors and workplaces.
Educators must remain with the student group for the duration of the event and are responsible for the supervision, behaviour and wellbeing of students.
Insight days may take place on the site in a councul building or in an education establishment setting.
The placement
We provide a programme of activity for 14 year kids and above a one-week period, which can include:
- inductions
- work shadowing
- meeting senior leaders
- understanding the goals, objectives and priorities of the council
- undertaking a mini project
- undertaking pieces of work that simulate the job
- delivering a presentation on key learning
We honour our duty to provide effective and high-quality work experience. We will:
- provide a consistent, reliable approach to offer young people and care leavers placements
- ensure compliance with any legal duties towards safeguarding and risk assessment
- ensure the young person has received an induction
- create an environment in which both individual and team contributions are recognised. We will avoid any stereotypical assumptions or bias, conscious or otherwise.
- ensure all young people and care leavers are not subject to discrimination. They will not receive any less favourable treatment.
Feedback
Many education providers seek feedback on behalf of the young person. Service areas are encouraged to help with this. This information can help to enhance a student's learning experience and development.
Managers information
If you are keen to host a work experience placement in your team, email the team
Health and safety and legal requirements
We will only offer in person placements to children aged 14 and above.
Work placement hours for young people under 18 should not exceed eight hours in any 24-hour period. They must work no more than 37 hours per week. There should be at least 12 hours break between each working day and two days of rest per working week.
For students, we will report any absence or concerns to the education provider. This includes looked after children and/or care leavers. Service areas must report absences within the first hour of the scheduled starting time.
All students on work experience placements are employees under health and safety law. They must have the same protection as all other employees.
We must give special consideration to the risks that young people may face. This is due to their potential inexperience and lack of awareness of a work environment.
All young people undertaking work experience at the council are required to wear an ID badge and wear an orange lanyard.
We must record any accidents that result in injury, ill health, damage to property or other loss. We must complete an accident form and investigate in line with our procedures.
The duty of care is the responsibility of the education provider (for example, school or college). This includes carrying out risk assessments for all students. This duty of care includes placements both within and outside term times.
We will not accept expression of interest forms for work experience placements from students. They must have the endorsement of their education provider.
Placements should not go ahead until:
- an up to date risk assessment is in place
- an ICE form and consent has been received from parents or guardians for all young people under the age of 18
- an ID badge is produced and issued with an orange lanyard
- placement details have been confirmed
- where required, access has been arranged
Copies of new or reviewed risk assessments should be given to the named council contact.
The education provider and parent or guardian must inform the talent and early careers team of issues that may affect the placement. This can include medical conditions or other concerns. We will make any appropriate support and reasonable adjustments.
This information should be confidential, in line with our Protecting Personal Data Policy. This ensures:
- there is no breach in terms of the student's personal information
- students get the best opportunity to have a positive and enjoyable placement
There are few work activities that a young person cannot do due to health and safety law. However, service areas have primary duty for the health and safety of their students. They should manage any major risks, which includes:
- explaining the risks to the student
- checking that they understand what they are told
- advising them who to talk to if they have concerns
You can get further guidance from the corporate health and safety team or the HSE website.
DBS checks
All service areas must have a named council contact for work experience placement students. This supervisor will ensure that the student is in a safe environment.
For children under 14, work experience is a regulated activity.
Work experience for 14 – 15 year olds should last no longer than 3-days within a consecutive 30-day period, from day-4 this work experience is a regulated activity.
A regulated activity means the supervisor will require an enhanced DBS with a children's barred list check.
The supervisor will not require this check if the student is over the age of 16.