sharkyvilla Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 The school must have known his character and whether he was likely to do **** all so I'd blame them, though I guess they have to try and give everyone a placement regardless of their attitude. I think you were just unlucky and like someone else said, next year you could get a real diamond. Stick with it, if they do bugger all and just leave after 2 days then you haven't really lost that much. My work experience was great. My brother got me in at his place in the marketing department in a pharmaceutical firm. I was a really shy kid so it took me a while to find my feet but it helped me hugely. We also spent our lunchtimes playing Duke Nukem on the network and I actually god paid, which I spent on my first ever Championship Manager game. Changed my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hycus-flange Posted July 14, 2012 Author Share Posted July 14, 2012 Health and safety says kids cannot work on electrics, doesn't say they can't watch and learn something This is my point, if the kid can't do the job, what the hell is the point in sending them on a placement there? It's pointless, it doesn't equate to work experience, it amounts to standing around watching someone else work. Might as well sit them in a room and play them a video of someone doing a job. It's pointless, the kid gets nothing from it, it doesn't teach them anything because people don't learn by following someone around and watching them do the same thing over and over again. People, especially kids, just get bored doing that. FYI nothing was forgotten and left in the van by "a dozy idiot". What is the point clogging up your work area with stuff you could trip over, stuff that if left to one side while you are doing something else could be dangerous if the wrong person picked it up ie kids, this is domestic electrics, people live in the house too you know From the work experience kids perspective, you left it on the van and now they have to go fetch it. If the only thing you're good for is playing fetch then why would you want to go back? I won't guess what you do for a living but I bet you don't have to think about site safety. I've done network installations in bare shells of buildings, I've had to think about site safety plenty of time. Incidentally we had a work experience kid for one of them, and they could do plenty, because when we took them on we knew we could actually find things for them to do. What would be a better work experience, broadening your mind or stacking shelves, I know what I would rather have done. Ps they don't let idiots loose on electrics, it's dangerous stuff. What you describe though isn't broadening your mind. It's boring. It's mind numbing. It's completely ineffective at teaching people about the world of work, because by your own admission, they can't actually do anything. I also beg to differ on the last part of that as well. I've seen plenty of idiots let loose on electrics. When you see someone turn the power back on whilst someone else was still wiring up a lighting circuit you quickly realise you don't have to be that smart to qualify as an electrician. i bow to your knowledge and experience of everything, if only i'd have known of your existance earlier i would of consulted you on everything. You know nothing about me, my qualifications, my experience, my attitude, whether i am of sound mind and yet you make judgments because "this one time at band camp" you did this and the other. Top n tail of it, that kid could have learnt loads, he could have had hands on experience of electrical installations, testing, comissioning, how the multi meter works, how the paperwork is filled in, what the results of the tests mean, what tools are for what job, which cable type to use for different types of circuit, the difference between MCB's, RCCB's,RCD's and how and why they trip out, but he was a lazy little shit who wanted an extra 2 weeks on top of his 6 week hoilday. He didnt like the idea of getting his hands dirty and he strolled around like he had all the time in the world, maybe in a 9 to 5 paid by the hour do as little as possible till you go home job he had the right attitude, but in a work till you finish and the slower you go the later you get to see your family type job his attitude sucked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villanmike Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 People who have worked for years nowadays forget what it is like to be a kid of 16 and just starting out. Who wants to work when you have been 'spoilt' for 16 years? No one, new starters take a wee while to grasp reality in work. The OP had standards and for some reason maybe expected a 16 year old to keep up? I don't understand that... At the end of the day you get what you pay for, he was earning nothing, you was paying nothing, what would you do if you was earning nothing for 2 weeks? Exactly...nothing and why should he?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDon Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 i bow to your knowledge and experience of everything, if only i'd have known of your existance earlier i would of consulted you on everything. It's not about having knowledge and experience of everything, it's about having a bit of common sense. Don't take someone on on work experience if there's nothing for them to do. Don't expect a 14 year old to happily just watch someone else work all day without getting bored and fed up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hycus-flange Posted July 15, 2012 Author Share Posted July 15, 2012 i bow to your knowledge and experience of everything, if only i'd have known of your existance earlier i would of consulted you on everything. It's not about having knowledge and experience of everything, it's about having a bit of common sense. Don't take someone on on work experience if there's nothing for them to do. Don't expect a 14 year old to happily just watch someone else work all day without getting bored and fed up. There was plenty he could do, and not just fetching and carrying, but he didn't want to do anything that involved doing something. Maybe if I'd got an Xbox on the van he would of been interested. Bit of background for you, his mom came to see me to find out what went on, I got some info out of her, the kid is almost 16 and she still puts toothpaste on his toothbrush for him, she carries his tea up to his bedroom and then collects the empty plate after, I think if he'd let her she would still wipe his arse to make sure it was done, she told me the only time he goes out is to go to school, but then why would you go out when you have someone doing everything for you. She has raised a lazy kid with a bad attitude who thinks that if it involves effort then let someone else do it because at home for all his life he has done nothing apart from get up in the morning and go to sleep at night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaGoMarching Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 I can't actually believe any 16 yr old still has his mom put the toothpaste on the brush for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilchard Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Ours fell asleep at their desk last week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villanmike Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 My Step daughter is doing 2 weeks in a local GP, she has been given the most boring jobs you could ever imagine, even for a doctors practise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hycus-flange Posted July 15, 2012 Author Share Posted July 15, 2012 I can't actually believe any 16 yr old still has his mom put the toothpaste on the brush for him. You and me both buddy. Needless to say I told her he needed a rocket up his arse, and she needed to stop mollycoddling him. She was disappointed he quit but after talking to her I can see why it was such a shock to him to actually have to do something instead of sitting playing COD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PieFacE Posted July 15, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted July 15, 2012 When I was 16 and I did work experience I absolutely hated it. At that age most kids have no idea what it is they want to do, and if they do 2 weeks work experience somewhere where they hate, they are hardly going to be hugely enthusiastic to work. Think the OP is over-reacting a bit. Just because he didn't like the line of work you do, doesn't mean he's not going to go on and work hard somewhere else. I didn't last my work experience, I didn't even last school... but I have a pretty good job now and work hard at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ingram85 Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 The trouble with Work Experience is that it's treated by the schools, kids and some placements as a waste of time. There is no plan, schedule or point to it. A kid goes somewhere, may or may not have an interest in where they are, may or may not have anything to do, then go back to school after a few weeks and that's it. What is the point? The schools need to start getting involved more in my opinion. - A list of local reputable companies should be drawn up - 2 week rough schedule of things that can be done, what to expect etc... - a workbook to check things off, put entries in etc... that should be signed off by a mentor at work and the teacher at school - A relative wage should be paid at the end; only a small amount but enough to show that work gets rewards i.e £25 a week (after all, getting rewarded on payday IS part of the experience of working, would we be bothered to work if we didn't get paid?) - feedback sessions at school, comparing experiences, maybe do a class presentation. As it stands no one gives a shit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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