Work Experience and Industry Placements

Making you more employable with quality work experience alongside your studies

If you are between 16 and 18 years old it is a requirement that you undertake a Work Experience Placement while you are on your course. This involves working at a local business which is in the same industry as your course, i.e. if you are taking a hair dressing qualification you may work at a local hair salon. The minimum amount of time you would spend on work experience is one week but this will change depending on your course. This will add immense value to your studies, giving you a much more rounded experience of the subject and providing you with a career edge when you look to enter the workplace.

If you are on a level 3 course your work experience will take the form of an Industry Placement. An Industry Placement is a minimum of 315 hours (approx. 45 days) and involves actively contributing to the workplace whilst working on targets which you have set yourself. These targets may be hard skills i.e. knowledge and skills related to the industry, as well as soft skills i.e. behaviours, values and employability.

The Industry Placement and Work Experience Placement that you undertake will depend on your course and circumstances. This will be discussed in more detail at your interview.

Click here for more info on Grofar – our new system for Work Placements to log your hours, experiences and targets.

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Industry Placements

An Industry Placement is an opportunity to improve your employability skills and gain industry relevant experience. As a student with us, you are able to benefit from a new 45-day Industry Placement pilot managed by our Skills to Business team.

(If you already have a part-time job this could be used as your Industry Placement, as long as it is relevant to your course.)

What’s involved?

• Commit to a minimum of 45 days of work experience, in a one year period
• You will get a work plan, evidence of your experience for future job applications and feedback on where you can improve your skills
• Record your hours of attendance at the placement
• You may also be eligible for a bursary of up to £100 to help with travelling costs.

What are the benefits for you?

• Raise your profile with potential employer, either as an apprentice or full-time employee after your college course is completed
• Gain a reference to help you with job applications in the future
• Gain an additional certificate on top of your course.

Inclusive Work Experience Offer

At The Cornwall College Group we have a formalised offer for inclusive work experience in our commercial settings, curriculum areas and other internal departments to enable learners who aren’t quite ready to enter the external world of work to develop their behaviours and values for employment and industry specific skills. We have a four stage approach including Information, Advice and Guidance to determine if learners are ready for an external placement or whether an inclusive placement will support them to get work ready.  All inclusive placements have job descriptions with bronze, silver and gold tasks to work towards. At all stages we review the placement to see whether a learner is ready to progress, whether this be to a group external placement, supported by the college working with local employers, or to the end goal of an independent work placement. 

The College has also developed a ‘Preparation for Work Placement’ initiative for any learners who are not ready to fully participate in the work placement programme (High Needs Learners). This process involves a collaborative approach between the careers and curriculum teams, to identify key areas of development required by individuals to prepare them for a work placement. These areas are then implemented into the curriculum delivery as well as learners accessing short work placement opportunities with support, either as a group or individually.

Click here to see our 4 stage Inclusive Work Experience Offer and a list of our internal work experience placement providers at The Cornwall College Group.