Working

Work placements – vital information

What businesses can you choose from?

Before starting the course you choose what industry you would like your Internship Programme to be based in. You can choose from:

• Administration
• Information Technology
• Multimedia
• Web Design
• Finance
• Marketing
• Travel & Tourism

On occasions it is possible to get a work placement programme in the environmental, engineering or catering industries. If you are interested in this please ask about the possibility. If there is another area of work you are interested in please ask.

You should make a first, second and third choice. Ideally, the choices should be based on your past experience or studies so that the company can see from your CV what relevance your past work experience has and the subjects that you are most interested in. However, we realise that some students will not have any work experience and allowances are made for this.

What does your placement involve?

The aim of the course is to help you acquire ‘real’ business English language skills through being in a work situation with British companies. This is complemented through continued English language tuition at Loxdale on Fridays. You will be supported academically by your tutors throughout both stages.

Your work placement is on a Monday to Thursday full-day basis. During this period you will also be required to do academic work, including keeping an English language vocabulary list. Each Friday you will return to Loxdale to have lessons, lectures and tutorials or take part in study visits. This ensures that we can follow your progress and help you continue to expand your academic English knowledge.

Throughout the placement you will have various written work and tasks to carry out, including a diary of the work you do and the various situations you encounter. This is followed up in the Friday sessions.

The work placements are unpaid work experience, and all placements are within the Brighton and Hove area. Although some placements will pay for the bus fares, you should not expect this and should be prepared to pay for your own transportation to and from work.

You are likely to be asked to do a variety of different tasks during your work placement. This may include helping with mail-shots, filing, database work and a variety of day to day activities. Most British offices, particularly small ones, involve all staff in all levels of work. During the first couple of weeks the managers will want to see what work you can do and might then set you more complicated or responsible work as you develop your skills.

You will rarely receive direct training from your line manager. He or she will induct you into the company and the job you are required to do but the company is not expected to give you skills training. This is work practice, not training as you would receive in a college. Your learning is more likely to evolve from your observations of business practices, business language, relationships, structure, etc; in essence your life in the English workplace. The language points that you discover and learn during your placement will form the basis of the work you carry out on Fridays.

Support

You will receive details of your English internship during the English Plus part of the course, together with a welcome pack explaining more about the placement.

Before starting your internship a company-student co-ordinator will visit Loxdale twice to speak with you about the placement and to go through your expectations and your employer’s expectations.

They will also visit you at your placement to talk to both you and your manager to ensure that expectations are being met on both sides.

During your internship programme you are still able to visit, telephone or e-mail your course organiser to discuss academic matters, concerns or ideas. You will also be required to meet every Friday to further consolidate your work-based learning.

Throughout your internship programme you are also encouraged to join in the school social evenings, and use the school pavilion in the evenings to socialise with other students at the school.

Application

As well as filling in the normal course application form, students wishing to join this course should provide Loxdale with the following extra information:

• Internship Application Form where you will need to explain why you wish to take part in the programme
• A copy of your current CV in English
• Police checks
  (where required – such as you would be working with children or vulnerable adults)
• The name and contact details of two referees
• An enrolment fee of £80
• Insurance

Students must take out the following insurance policies for the period of their course:

General and Public Liability (The school will need to see copies of this insurance before you can start the work placement section of your course.)

The school also recommends that students take out medical and property insurance.