Improving Work Experience

what is relevant?

Hi

Sorry to be obvious but the question has to be what are they here for and what is "relevant"?

For example;

My son went for a work experience at a retail art gallery; he is an art history student.

His boss gave him a feather duster and told him to dust all the bronzes and pictures, it was suggested that if he did this carefully it would take him about two and a half hours.  Though his first thought was "Oh, god, they are going to use me as an unpaid cleaner!" he got on and did it.

When he finished the boss asked him to describe, compare and comment on different works....from memory!

Then the boss showed him how to operate the till and the alarms and left him to man the shop for a day, though the boss remained on site

Then he was asked to critique the presentation of the artwork, verbally in a "walk-round".  His critique was challenged and discussed, this included a discussion of the "best" way to display art and to create an exhibition of work that was similar or complementary.

Then they left him to man the shop for another day, alone

Then he was asked to select enough art to set up an exhibition in a space of a given size.

This was critiqued, challenged and discussed........then he actually set up a new exhibition!

Boy, that was a hell of a relevant work experience!

Not everyone can do that and it probably doesn't prepare a student for the possible tedium of everyday life!

I hope this helps

Rus

www.coach-and-courses.com

www.forheavenscake.co.uk

Students and Placements

-- QED Training qedworks.com

We have abolished the terms such as volunteers, placements and internships etc

We call our temporary workers SHADOW WORKERS -and a to z, entry to exit - treat them like staff recognising the clear points of convergence and divergence between paid and unpaid staff in terms of legalities,ethics and other boundaries.So far so good

Regards

Dominic