Work Experience at Stroud District Council

We are pleased to offer local students the opportunity to join our Work Experience Programme. Working in Local Government can be both challenging and rewarding, and through our programme we aim to ensure students learn more about working for Stroud District Council as one of the largest local employers, and about the wide range of services we provide.

We recognise that work experience plays an important part in giving students a taste of the benefits of working in the real world. It’s a crucial part of a child’s development, and often a necessary part of a student’s course work. Our work experience programme is designed to give students an introduction to working in a professional environment.

We welcome students from all academic backgrounds, from Year 10 though to Post Graduates. Placements are tailored to suit individual skills and needs, but we strive to offer all students the opportunity to:

• Take part in an induction seminar on their first morning, gaining an understanding of the many services Stroud District Council provides, and challenging their thoughts on what working in Local Government is like.
• Understand the main health and safety issues affecting employees in the workplace
• Undertake a psychometric survey to find out more about their natural skills and attributes, and how this information can help in their career path
• Carry out relevant project work relating to the specific service area where they are placed
• Undertake a number of e learning courses and attain the relevant certificate for each

Students are supervised by a workplace mentor throughout their placement period. We will always try to appoint students in a role appropriate to their interests and abilities, and therefore encourage students to provide as much information as possible when completing the registration form.

The service units (departments) that can accommodate students on work experience are:

• Asset Management (Building Maintenance Officers, Surveyors)
• Councillors,
• Canal Project Team,
• Community Safety (Neighbourhood Wardens, Careline, Youth Officer, Car Park & Civil Contingency staff)
• Communications (Marketing, ICT, & Democratic Services staff)
• Corporate Resources (Human resources, Legal, & Policy staff,)
• Cultural Services (Includes Facilities Management staff, Dursley Pool, Museum, Subscription Rooms, Joint Use Sports Centres, Sport & Health Development )
• Customer Services
• Environmental Health (Includes licensing)
• Finance
• Planning
• Regeneration
• Tenant Services (Housing)

Interested in joining the programme?

All vacant placements are recruited through our Work Experience Events which run throughout the year:

Recruitment Event Dates for 2012

• Tuesday 14 th February at 2pm

If you would like to be invited to one of these events, you must download and return a completed registration form and return it to:

Jackie Godwin
Corporate Resources
Ebley Mill
Westward Road
Stroud
Glos
GL5 4UB

Email: jackie.godwin@stroud.gov.uk

Hints and tips to make your form stand out:

• Sell yourself! Tell us about yourself on the registration form, and state clearly why you are interested in the service you have chosen
• Think about what you would like to achieve whilst you are with us – we will encourage you to set personal goals
• Think about what skills you have to offer – remember qualities such as good timekeeping, confidence and ability to use your initiative are just as important as I.T. Skills and other qualifications
• Draw on every bit of experience you have – things like babysitting, Saturday jobs, and team participation can provide valuable experience that can be transferred into the workplace

Application Form

DOC  Student registration form - for students aged 14-18 (Word 223 KB)

DOC  Work Experience Consent Form (Word 162 KB)

DOC  Work Placement Registration - For applicants age 18 and above (Word 33 KB)

After your application has been received, you will be invited to attend a recruitment event to discuss your interest and career aspirations before being accepted onto the scheme.

Preparing for your work experience

Once you have been accepted onto the scheme, you may find it helpful to prepare for your work experience by completing some of the Work Experience Programme work sheets. The completed sheet can be brought to your Work Experience Induction on your first day. These are available to download here

DOC  Your personal goals (Word 26 KB)

PDF  Thinking about your skills and attributes - Checklist (PDF 19 KB)

PDF  Personal profile (PDF 10 KB)

Some of the comments made by previous work experience students:

“I will certainly recommend Stroud District Council as a work experience placement to the pupils of Thomas Keble next year” - Henry Kemp Thomas Keble School

“I have gained a lot of confidence and find it much easier to talk to new people” - Elliott Patient, Marling School

“Working with the Caretaker and in the post room was a good experience” - Luke Wyman Maidenhill School

“I enjoyed working with the public, and helping teach children to swim” Paige Robinson, Rednock School

“Working with People in an office environment has given me confidence to work in a similar environment and will help me in future jobs” - Joe Webb, Thomas Keble School

"I would recommend Stroud District Council's work experience programme to other people because you are not stuck behind a desk (in Facilities Management) – you go out and do things” - Cameron Webb Katharine Lady Berkeley's School