WORK PLACEMENTS FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR ENDING JULY 2010 ARE FULL

How is work experience organised?
The work experience placement may be organised by your school or by you. If the school does not have any suitable places left, you can cold-call businesses.

At Ponds Forge the following departments offer work experience opportunities:
* Leisure
* Gym
* Reception
* HR (occasionally)

If you are interested in work experience at Ponds Forge;
complete an online enquiry form or
send a letter of interest to Allana Shaw or
send your CV to Allana Shaw
Ponds Forge International Sports Centre
Sheaf Street, Sheffield, S1 2BP

How it can help you
Work experience can be a great help if you're still wondering what sort of career you want. A work placement is your opportunity to spend a period of time outside the classroom, learning about a particular job or area of work.

During your placement, you'll be able to find out what skills employers look for when they're hiring someone to fill a job vacancy.

You will also get the chance to develop your self-confidence and communication skills. This will help you to work better with other people in further or higher education, as well as in your future career.

With schools, work placements are only available in Years 10 or 11. You won't be able to do a work placement with your school until you reach this age.

Making the most of your work experience: top tips
If you want to get the most out of your work experience, there are a few things you should do both during and after your placement.

During your placement
You should be given a placement mentor or supervisor. They will give you a tour and tell you everything you need to know on your first day, so make sure you ask them any general questions you have. The supervisor will make sure you understand the health and safety rules and your own responsibilities while you're at work.

Your school will probably ask you to keep a record of your placement, so remember to write down what you've done at the end of every day and any comments that you'd like to make.

You should also remember to act professionally at all times during your placement. There may be some days when you only get a little bit of work to do, or the people you are working with are too busy to go through things with you - be patient.

After your placement
Once your placement is over, take a look over the notes you have made and have a think about what you've achieved and how well you think you've done. Your placement employer should also give you feedback. If they don't, make sure you ask for it.

You may also want to add details about your placement to your CV if you're thinking of applying for a part-time or holiday job.

What are the benefits?
Work experience is an important part of your education. Its many benefits include:
* Discovering whether a career of interest is for you
* Exchanging ideas with industry professionals
* Developing networks with potential future employers
* Experiencing working life and all this entails
* Improving your CV

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