Work experience
S5 pupils have the opportunity to complete a Work Experience Program in a company during the last two weeks of the school year, after the exams, or during the school holidays.
S6 and S7 pupils may do the same during the school holidays. However, S7 pupils may not participate in a work experience program AFTER they passed their Baccalaureate: they would not be considered as pupils from our school and would not be covered by the school insurance during their work experience.
The duration of the work experience program may be one or two weeks.
The Work Experience Project’s main objective is to give pupils an experience in a professional environment. They will have the opportunity to develop their knowledge as well as their personal and social skills. It doesn’t aim to prepare pupils for a specific career, even though it may of course provide interesting insights for their future orientation.
Pupils may not receive any remuneration for their work experience, as it is part of their school program. School insurance covers pupils in business and workplaces provided that the Work Experience Agreement was approved by signature by the school's management. A specific insurance form will be introduced by the school.
Pupils need to find a company for their work experience themselves, with the support of their section’s orientation coordinator, who can answer their questions related to the project.
During their week(s) in the company, pupils work and observe the business’s structure as well as the working conditions of the different categories of workers. They will turn their observations into a report, which will be part of the evaluation of their work experience.
For pupils to receive the Work Experience Certificate awarded by the school, they must hand in the following documents to the Work Experience Coordintaor (Mrs Houbrechts):
- The Work experience report (at least one typed page)
- The Assessment grid (available hereunder) filled in by the company
What are the steps for participating in a work experience program ?
October to June
- Look for a company or an individual who is willing to welcome you for the work experience.
- Download the Work Experience Agreement from the school's website (see link hereunder). It needs to be filled in and signed by the pupil (as well as a parent for underage pupils) and by the representative of the company.
- Hand in four paper copies of the completed Work Experience Agreement forms to the Work Experience Coordinator (Mrs Houbrechts) BEFORE* starting your work experience so that your participation is validated.
Before 10 June*
- Deadline for handing in all work experience contracts (4 paper copies)
- After receiving the signed agreements, the career counselor will advise you on the next steps. Please check your emails; all communications regarding the work placements will be sent via the student’s O365 account.
* Work experience agreements must be submitted at least 10 days before the start of the placement for placements taking place during school holidays, and by 10 June for placements taking place during the summer holidays. If these deadlines are not met, the school cannot guarantee insurance cover or the validation of the work experience.
Before 30 September
Hand in to the Work Experience Coordinator:
- The Assessment grid filled in by the company
- The typed Work experience report (at least one typed page)
We would like to remind you that the work experience certificate will not be awarded without these documents !
November (date to be determined)
- Ceremony and Certificates
For all questions related to the work experience, please contact Mrs Houbrechts: francoise.houbrechts@teacher.eursc.eu.
How to succeed in an internship in 10 steps:
- I look for a work experience opportunity.
- I complete the Work Experience Agreement (available below) and send it to the company.
- I print 4 copies of the agreement* and hand them to Ms Houbrechts.
- I check my emails and TEAMS (I will be added to a TEAMS group where I must complete a FORM relating to insurance procedures).
- Once the agreements have been approved by the management, I am notified by email.
- I collect two copies of the agreement; I keep one and send the other to the company.
- On the 1st day of the work experience, I give the person in charge the assessment form (available below).
- At the end of the experience, I collect the assessment form completed by the person in charge of my work experience within the company.
- I write a work experience report of at least one typed page (there are some ideas available on the TEAMS group ‘Participants in work experience programs’).
- I hand in the assessment form and the report to Ms Houbrechts as soon as possible.
Have you completed all these steps? You will be invited to the work experience certificate ceremony… Keep an eye on your email!
* Work experience agreements must be submitted at least 10 days before the start of the placement for placements taking place during school holidays, and by 10 June for placements taking place during the summer holidays. If these deadlines are not met, the school cannot guarantee insurance cover or the validation of the work experience.
