What are Work Experience and Work Placement Coordinators?

They work closely with career leads and training managers to coordinate all or part of a work experience or work placement programme offered by a school, sixth form or further education college.

How They Can Support

They work with students and trainees to identify opportunities  to participate in the world of work.

Work experience coordinators: help to find short term opportunities in industries and work settings to help the student to make an informed decisions about the next steps on their career journey. Typically, the expectation is on the student to identify and approach work experience providers.

Work placements coordinators: help the student to gain ‘on the job’ skills/experience needed to gain the evidence required to achieve vocational qualifications like T-Levels or Apprenticeships. The coordinator will provide support to set up and manage the work placement.

They  work alongside more specialist professionals to ensure that risk assessments are completed and any equipment is available to make work setting safe and accessible.

Where They are Based

Typically, work experience coordinators are found in schools and sixth form colleges that offer academic qualifications such as GCSEs and A levels. Though not all schools and colleges will have one.

Work placement coordinators are likely to be found in further education colleges that offer vocational training such as T-levels and Apprenticeships.

How to Access Their Support

Support from work experience coordinators will form part of any careers programme offered by a school/sixth form college. They can be accessed via a class teacher, SENCO or careers programme lead can help.

Work placement coordinators should make contact with the student about the work placement. If contact hasn’t been made they can be approached via the training programme manager or course leader.

To learn more about work experience or work placements, why not check out our helpful seven steps guide?