Most of the people I work with have either never been in the workforce or have been unemployed for an extended period of time. Because of this they often don’t have much to show on their resume, which isn’t very appealing for potential employers. After doing some market research and running a series of work experience sessions, I’ve discovered that this is an excellent way to help people bolster their resume, increase their confidence and potentially find something they love doing in the process. In this blog post, I’ll outline how we help people move towards their employment goals through our work experience program.
One of the most important, and unique, aspects of the work experience program we’ve developed are the business networks that my team and I have built up over the years (even before I started Self++ back in late 2019). It’s through these networks, which are constantly growing, that we’re able to facilitate placements in a wide range of industries from computer repairs through to social media marketing to gardening. This gives our program participants the opportunity to try different things and gauge what they love and hate about working in a particular industry.
Instead of limiting people to a single workplece over a twelve week period, we’ll customise a program where participants work at three or four different employers in different industries over the same period. The industries and employers selected for an individual are based on their strengths and interests, and also who is available to facilitate a placement at the time. If a participant has an employer in mind that isn’t part of our networks, we can also accommodate that.
During the placement, we provide one-on-one support to ensure everything runs smoothly and to address any concerns participants or employers might have. This level of support also allows us to cover any workplace injuries under our own volunteer’s insurance, negating the need for employers to take out their own insurance policy. At the end of each placement, we also gather constructive feedback from both the participant and employer about the positives and negatives of their experience in that workplace.
At the end of the program, our placement facilitator will compile the feedback from each of the workplaces into a final report. The facilitator will also provide a written reference the participant can use when applying for work, and contact details that can be put on their resume. If an employer decides that they want to take on a participant on a more permanent (and paid) capacity, then we’re also happy to facilitate that as well.
That sums up how our 12 week work experience program works. If you’d like more information, please contact us on (02) 5104 3356 or email [email protected].
