Work Experience & Placements
Why We Do It
Work experience is beneficial to practices and organisations as well as to the individual. From a business perspective, offering work placements provides the opportunities for individuals to experience what it’s like to work in primary care which in turn encourages engagement and development of the future workforce.
From an individual perspective work experience should be meaningful; either broadening understanding of the job role, providing the opportunity for developing transferrable skills, or carrying out “real work” projects for employers which can be used for future applications for vacancies.
Widening participation to schools and providing opportunities to those who may not consider a career in the medical profession is essential to be able to grow our own workforce.
Types of work experience
School age (Year 10 Age 14-15)
A large number of secondary schools run a work experience programme for Year 10 students over the course of a week. This is generally in July, but a few schools run programmes in March and June. This is a structured programme. In 2020, due to the restrictions in place during the Covid-19 pandemic, work experience is not running in General Practice.
Get in Cornwall
The Training Hub contributes annually to the Get In Cornwall programme, hosted by RCHT, which provides work experience over a 6 week programme, where schools across Cornwall access a week of experience in the health and care system. General Practice as a career is promoted as part of this programme. This has happened virtually in 2020, and you can find details of the programme and recordings on the attached.
Virtual Work Experience timetable 2020
College (Year 11/12 Age 16-18)
Post 16 college courses will also require work experience weeks where the individual will need to be placed with a practice.
Work Placements
These can vary in length and can be anything from 2-3 days to a 3-6 month placement. This includes work experience placements for those looking to return to practice and interested in a change of career.
Promoting Careers in Health & Care
Schools are always keen to hear from volunteers in medical and healthcare professions as part of their careers offer. Some secondary schools run specific aspiring medics groups who are always looking for volunteers. If you are interested in supporting this programme we can help connect you with schools and opportunities. Please contact us at:
Job Fairs
Currently, due to the restrictions on face to face gatherings during the Covid-19 response, we are not attending job fairs. In the future, events we plan to attend will be listed here.
Work Experience – Guidance for Practices
We are creating a Work Experience Guide for Practices which we hope will provide useful information on all aspects of work placement, and how to ensure the best opportunity while hosting somebody on a placement. This will include key considerations practices will need to have in place, such as induction, confidentiality agreement, structured work placement programme and how you can access further support.
The RCGP has some helpful guidance and resources to support practices.
Work Experience – Guide for Students
When work experience is able to be resumed in a face to face way, we will ensure we promote these placement opportunities here, along with the information you will need to know in advance.