Work Experience

Work experience is a component of a credit course that provides students with a learning opportunity in the workplace for a limited period of time – from one to four weeks. A major objective of work experience is to help students connect what they are learning in school to what they will need in the workplace. Work experience also enables many students with special learning needs to experience a variety of opportunities and to learn more about both themselves and the world of work.

Similar to the co-op program, a student who goes out on a work experience is first provided with instruction in job-readiness skills, health and safety procedures in the workplace, and school and placement expectations. A work plan (including assessment criteria) based on curriculum expectations is developed by the teacher in collaboration with the participating placement supervisor. Students are usually visited once by their teacher during the experience to see that the expectations of the work plan are being met, and once back in the classroom, time is provided for student reflection on their out of school experiences and relating them to their course expectations. Every work experience involves filling in WSIB and Work Education Consent Forms. The School to Career office provides forms and information on reporting of accidents.

For information on placements being used by schools offering work experiences, please refer to “Specialized Programs” in the Co-op section of the database.