No plans to reinstate school work experience scheme

It's not been in place since before the Covid-19 pandemic

There are no plans to reinstate the school work experience scheme on the Island.

It was initially stopped because of the pandemic in 2020.

Previously, all children in year 10 would have the opportunity to spend a week working in a business.

The student would be able to say the kind of roles they'd be interested in doing and the school would either match them with an opportunity or they could find their own.

However, when Covid-19 hit, the scheme was suspended because of lockdown restrictions.

Five years later though, the Department of Education has confirmed it has not been formally reinstated.

The department insists work experience continues to be an integral part of education in the Isle of Man, but is delivering it through a range of programmes rather than a single scheme.

In a statement, it says students continue to gain workplace insights through:

• Virtual resources and experiences
• Assemblies and employer-led insight events
• Work shadowing opportunities
• Workplace and site visits
• Career talks by industry professionals
• Careers fairs and mentoring schemes
• Project-based learning and social action initiatives

It adds that for some students, work placements form part of certain technical or vocational qualifications.

In addition, those attending University College Isle of Man take part in hands-on learning through live projects, site visits, guest speakers, and toolbox talks, working with over 250 local employers. 

Work placements are also available in fields such as health and social care, early years, business, sport, animal management, and hairdressing.