One of my son’s tasks for next week’s half term break is to apply for work experience in engineering for the week of 9th to 13th March 2020. Does anyone have any experience of companies who accept year 12s for engineering work experience on random weeks, rather than their fixed timetable please? Any pointers would be much appreciated thank-you x

Whereabouts are you? The company my son did his work experience with seemed to have a constant rotation of students? I would suggest he writes to any local engineering companies and ask. Many of them will be well used to taking students. Has he thought of applying for one of the Headstart Engineering courses next summer?

Do have realistic expectations for the work experience week. Smaller companies are more likely to be able to be flexible re timing and the short period of time.
Also, in a week he's not likely to do any thing very exciting!
But making contacts and getting a window on the on workplace are still valuable.

Thank-you both, I think your approach in trying local firms may be the way to go. We are based in Yorkshire and he is prepared to travel, so we had been looking at larger companies which don’t seem to have the same flexibility around dates. I hadn’t heard of Headstart Engineering courses, we will look into it for next summer x

I believe applications open in November. They are often early July bit DS's school gave him permission to attend. It's great as it gives them a taste of engineering & also some time on a university campus.

I know there's not much manufacturing still about but depending exactly where you are, if he can't find a placement with an engineering firm he could try a manufacturer and get his experience from that perspective.

+1 re Headstart.
Its a few years since we were at this stage but there was an issue with a clash with A level maths modules ( at the time FMaths people took A2 Maths in year 12) so some must have been in late June.
Generally schools do support absence for it as its got a very good reputation.

My DD did headstart and found it useful although that was during the summer holiday, if I remember correctly.

Also her work experience with an engineering firm was more work shadowing then work experience and she ended up spending a week in a hotel as it was quite far away.

you might find something this

https://www.tomorrowsengineers.org.uk/students/work-experience/

and google may find willing companies

Hebden

What sort of engineering are you looking for? There are lots of small engineering firms in Halifax/Elland/Brighouse. I'd apply to some of the smaller ones - they may be more flexible and you're more likely to get a taste of everything in a small firm rather than a big one.

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mum-of-two