Fair recruitment via work experience
Ian Jelley
Deputy Chief Executive
Fair Train
What is Fair Train?
 A national charity
 Owner of the national Work
Experience Quality Standard
accreditation
 Group Training Association for
the Voluntary and
Community Sector (VCS)
 Supporter of employers, learning
providers and young
people across the UK
 Coordinator of national Work
Experience Week
What is Work Experience?
Fair Train defines Work
Experience as everything from
a work placement, through to
internships, traineeships and
apprenticeships
Plus volunteering (where the
aim of the role is to secure
career progression)
Open minded recruitment
 Creates more opportunities for
people to access employment in
comparison to traditional
recruitment methods
 Multiple entry points diversifies the
workforce
 Provides opportunities for existing
staff development through
mentoring
Benefits of a talent pipeline
 Synergy improves the line of
sight for learners
 Reduces the silo mentality
 Improves retention rates
 Learners hit the ground running,
increasing productivity
Creating a talent pipeline
Senior
leaders
Managers
Junior staff
Apprentices
Trainees / Work experience
A business development
perspective
 Identifying areas for growth
 Identifying ageing workforce
areas
 Identifying skills gaps
 Creating workforce
development routes to feed in
to those
How do you manage recruitment
via work experience?
 Appropriate planning
 Understanding that it is an
investment and not a cost
 Recognising the development
need of participants
 Providing the resources and
support to make it successful
Work Experience Quality Standard
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Nationally accredited frameworks
For employers and learning providers
Public recognition
Demonstration of quality
Free ongoing advice and guidance
7 steps to develop a high quality
work experience programme
Step 1: Planning & preparation
 Working in partnership
 Aims and objectives
 Gaining support
7 steps to develop a high quality
work experience programme
How to
dress
Telephone
techniques
Job search
techniques
Securing
employment
skills
Interview
skills
CV writing
Writing
covering
letters
7 steps to develop a high quality
work experience programme
Communication
skills
Behaviour
in the
workplace
Planning
Sustaining
employment
skills
Time
keeping
Resilience
Team
working
Self
confidence
7 steps to develop a high quality
work experience programme
Step 2: Induction
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Matching aspirations
Managing expectations
Goals and objectives
Standards and support
7 steps to develop a high quality
work experience programme
Step 3: Ongoing support
 Review and feedback
 Assigning a mentor
 Peer support
7 steps to develop a high quality
work experience programme
Step 4: Making the experience meaningful
 Planning a project
 Careers information and advice
 Building on skills
7 steps to develop a high quality
work experience programme
Step 5: Motivation and recognition
 Freedom within a framework
 Progression within the role
 Measurable outcomes
7 steps to develop a high quality
work experience programme
Step 6: Making the placement work for the
employer
 PR
 Corporate Social Responsibility
 Your business from a fresh
perspective
7 steps to develop a high quality
work experience programme
Step 7: The end of the placement…what
next?
 Progression routes
 Exit interview
 Reference
Contact us
Web
Twitter
LinkedIn
LinkedIn Group
Email
Phone
www.fairtrain.org
@FairTrainOrg
Company/fair-train
Work Experience UK
[email protected]
0753 995 0663