My son's work experience Year 10.

[Le Chat]

This school year, pupils at my son's school spend 2 weeks in Feb on work placement. My son wants to spend his work experience at my workplace.
I am quite agreeable, for 1 week, as I think it would be a good way for him to see exactly how busy I am and give him an appreciation of what I actually do whilst he's at school. I also think it would be good for our relationship as he has become 'teenagerish' over the last year or so.
My husband is not in agreement though. He thinks that it would be 'too easy' and not take him out of his comfort zone, if he comes with me. He is rather lazy in some respects and it would stop him making any effort to do the leg work and make the calls to secure his own work place.
This is one reason why I think that 1 week with me and another elsewhere would be a good middle ground.
I agree with all that my husband says but I don't see it as such an issue as he does.
What do other AB'ers think?

[Prudie]

When you say at your workplace do you mean with him as your supervisor or just in the same geographic location but in another dept? If the former then I agree with your husband - the purpose of Yr 10 placements is to experience life in the working environment (rather than discover how busy you are).

[factor-fiction]

Even if he did do a week with you he would need to make calls or write letters to get the second placecment and he'd widen his experience.
Ideally I think he should work independently of you so he should try to get 2 weeks somewhere else. If the best he can get is one week somewhere then he can fill the gap with a week at your place

[Prudie]

sorry - obviously I meant with you as his supervisor

[Le Chat]

Ah! Yes Prudie...I read it a couple of times and thought you must've mixed it up! I agree that it is to experience life in the working environment rather than discovering how busy I am ... but maybe a by product would be that he would gain a greater appreciation for life after school and just how hectic it can be, whilst at the same time finding that out on a family level. However, it would probably just go over his head anyway!
Factor 30 - Thanks for your input. I will urge him to go for 2 weeks elsewhere and see how that pans out.

[cazzz1975]

I think somewhere more into the field he is interested in career wise, this is about him and not about him appreciating what you do, sorry if that sounds harsh.

why not find him a placement that relates to what he wants to do in life?, it may give him a clearer picture of his career plan..

[cathfromsaron]

we had this situation with my daughetr! she 'worked' at my olds shop!

anyway, they gave her a really easy ride and she didn't gt the experience she should have, which was a shame for her and them!

i would reconsider, cath x

[Le Chat]

Cazz - Problem is he doesn't know what he wants to do as yet! It seems that it is not particularly easy getting places to take the students for obvious reasons, so they just take what they can get anyway.
Cath - That is the main reason that husband is against it.
Will reconsider. xxx

[wolf63]

Can he not arrange to do a weeks work in a charity shop - we have had a couple of youngsters do this. They also come into the shop to do their Duke of Edinburgh awards.

[erin-x]

It's not just about experiencing the hectic working environment, it's mainly about communication skills and interacting with new people. If he went to your work he wouldn't be getting the same opportunity as the other kids in his year which could put him at a disadvantage when he really has to go into a workplace on his own. x