Work experience at EEB3

1. Workexperienceat EEB3 School year 2014-2015 Coordinator: Maria Fouseka – marifouse@gmail.com – A 13

2. Whatare the main features of workexperienceat EEB3? The school gives to 5th and 6th year students the opportunity to participate in« work experience ». Year 7 pupils can also participate but they have to be allowed by the School to do so. Work experience is not compulsory but highly recommended. The work experience is scheduled the two weeks after the Year 5 and 6 final examens or at any others moments during the summer holidays. We prefer this activity to be undertaken in the same organisation. However we accept it could be done in two different one (one week each), if necessary This activity is not paid and it is covered by the school insurance

3. Whatis the workexperiencepurpose ? It makes the pupilsthinkabout theirfurthereducation or careerand theirprofessional future It gives the pupils an opportunity to discover the « workingenvironment » especially in the field of theirinterest This experiencewill help the pupils to makeinformeddecisions on theirsoptions atschool

4. Why the workexperiencecouldbeusefull for the pupils ? This experience could develop their communication skills and their ability to interact with others as well as their awareness of the expectations from a professionnal environnement. It can, in some cases, allow the pupils to improve their knowledge of their L2 (or another) in surroundings different from the school. It is an asset on their C.V. or in an application-file for future studies, especially in a British University or in a Business school in France. NB : A work experience is compulsory for the pupils who would like to apply to an University of medicine in the UK.

5. Where it can be done ? • Work experience can be done in Brussels, or if possible, more or less, anywhere all around the world. • The shipping and living costs are at the parents expenses. • We recommend the pupils to do their work experience in a place where they can use their L II or III.

6. When it can be done ? • Weprefer the pupils do theirworkexperienceduring the twoweeksafter the Juneexams, but if itis not possible, thisactivitycanbescheduledat an anotherperiodduring the summer. • The internshipcanalsobescheduledduring the schoolyearholidaysbut an agreement fromthe school (Mr Radhuber) isneeded in thatcase. • The workexperienceissupposed to bedonetwoweeks in a rowat the same place but if the pupilsisonlyoffered a one week placement heisallowed to spend the otherweek in another organisation duringanotherweek.

7. How to find a placement ? • The pupils and their parents must find a placement on themselves The school does not provide any list or contacts. • The pupils compose a CV and a letter of application with the help of their teachers if necessary. They put the emphasise in their letter on their career project. • They contact their parents, colleagues, friends, former pupils who have already done a work experience to get some connections. • They search the internet to be informed about the companies and the send the CV and letter to the organisations/companies they are interesting with. • They don’t hesitate to phone to the organisation representative to support their own application afterwards and to get an interview. • They don’t wait the very last moment to apply and take the deadline of the contract handout (30th of May 2014) into account.

8. What are the roles of the school ? • The schoolcanoffer a support to the pupils to writeapplication letters and CV and advisethem • The schoolcanprovidethe pupils if necessarya letter to introduce the differentfeatures of the workexperienceat EEB3 to the organisation contacted. • The schoolprovides a workexperiencecontractwhichmakes the placement legal and getsthe pupilscoveredduringtheirinternship. • The schooldeals withspecial cases and intervenesin case of problemduring the workexperience. • The schooldeliversa workexperiencecertificateto thosewhoprovide a workexperience report and an evaluationtable completedby the adultresponsible for the internship.

9. What are the different steps of the work experience ? • 1-Once a pupil has been accepted, he/she must download a work experience contract from the EEB3 website and have three original hard copies completed and signed by the pupils, then the parents, the organisation rep, and the head of the school (more details on the next slide). • 2-The three contracts has to be signed by all stakeholders and sent by post to EEB3 before the beginning of the placement and before the deadline scheduled by the school (30th of May 2014), otherwise the placement won’t be insured and considered by the School. • 3-After the internship, the pupil must hand over a work experience report and an evaluation table, completed by the adult in charge of the internship.

10. How to deal with the contract ? • 1 – The pupils and their parents must download and print three hard copies of it from the school website (the contract is available in French, English, German and Dutch); • 2 – The pupils and their parents must complete and sign up each copy of the contract (no photocopy or scan allowed for legal reasons) • 3 – The pupil must post the three copies of the contract to the organisation/company representative before the deadline; • 4 – The representative must complete and sign up the three contracts and post them to M.Killius at EEB3 before the deadline of the 30th of May 2014(no scan/fax allowed).

11. What are the special cases ? • Those are the cases the School accepts to take into consideration after the deadline : • Application to a work experience at Eurocontrol (special procedure with selection). • Application to a work experience at the Council of the EU (special procedure with selection). • Application to an organisation who emailed an agreement to the internship before the deadline but sent the three contracts afterwards. • The others cases have to be introduced to Mr Radhuber asap.

12. How to get the contract ? • Once collected at school by Mrs Fouseka, the three contracts are transfered to Mr Pino (Head of EEB3) to be signed up; • One copy is filed by the school and the two others are handed over to the pupils; • The pupil must sent or hand over the company representative a copy of the contract signed by the school.

13. How the pupils must behave during the internship ? • As representatives for their school, the pupils must behave in a responsible way. It means the pupils must : • follow the dress code, • arrive on time, be respectful to everybody • and make sure that they take the placement seriously. • The pupil’s behaviour is evaluated by the adult responsible for the placement.

14. How to write the work experience report ? When the pupils have completed their placement, they will need to write a report (between 5 and 10 sides of A4) and hand over after the All Saints Holidays to Mrs Fouseka. This report may be drafted in either language 1, 2 or 3 according to the language used during the traineeship and has to be divided into three sections : 1 - An overview of the characteristics, the functioning and the economic environment of the company or the organization; 2 - A detailed outline to their activity during the placement (giving details of the phases of observation and describing the missions they achieved); 3 - An extended summary of what this training course has taught you about yourself and your work placement; More details about the presentation and the content of the report will be given afterwards.

15. What the evaluation table is it for ? • An evaluation table will be provided to the pupils at the begining of the work experience and it has to be given to the adult in charge of the internship. • It will allows him/her to evaluate different aspects of the pupils behaviour and skills; • It will prove that the pupils has correctly undertaken his/her placement; • Once the work experience is over, the table must be posted/mailed from the company to Mrs Fouseka. • Thanks to the table and the report, the school will be allowed to provide a work experience certificate to the pupils

16. The work experience certificate • To get a work experience certificate from the school, the pupils must hand out over : • a work experience report, which has been awarded 6 at least by the teacher; • An evaluation table with favourable comments from the adult responsible for the internship. • The certificate will be provided at the end of the year with final reports unless if the certificate is needed before (ex : for application).

17. Someexamplesof work-experience placements Embassies, European Commission, the Parliament, … NGO based on all continents Lawyers’ practices, architects’ studios, animal clinics , Natutal Science Institutes, laboratories, Hospitals, Old people homes, nurseries Hotels, museums, tourist-offices, Airlines, newspapers, broadcasting, Nato, WTO, … Banks, insurance-cie, administrations, Pharmaceutical cie, Car-constructing cie, factories,…

18. Examples of possible workexperience, … . . . Student’scomments… Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique The organisation of work in a team and as an individual was a hard lesson to learn, but it was very effective. I even participated in an all-night survey of one kilometre of forest, which was a unique experience. Chalude, Vandecapelle & Associates I was not expecting to learn very much in these two weeks, except how to make coffee and make photocopies. I was wrong.  De Smet & Whaley Architects I think it was a very useful and fruitful experience. It is funny how now I look at buildings, whether simple or complicated ones, from an architectural point of view. Institut Jules Bordet Ce stage compte beaucoup pour moi. Je ne m'attendais pas à vivre une expérience aussi enrichissante et de me retrouver au bloc opératoire, face à la réalité.  

19. Cabinet vétérinaire à Dworp Mes attentes ont été dépassées parce que j’ai pu assister à des opérations auxquelles je ne m’attendais pas. Bosch Rexroth J’étais un peu déçue par les tâches monotones, mais en parlant avec d’autres stagiaires, j’ai découvert que c’est absolument normal. Council of the European Union The knowledge , experience and know-how learned and gained during these two weeks are most certainly not something readily available in textbooks. The traineeship was definitely not a waste of my vacation period, however greatly I might prize the latter. Studio legale Vantaggiato - Lecce - italy Choose a job that interests you, even if it may not be your future ambition.You have to take into consideretion that 2 weeks can be a long time if you do not do something which you like. Student’s comments…

20. Agenda 2014-2015 • January 2014 : • the carrer adviser introduce the work experience project to the pupils. • The relevant documents (ex : contracts, ptt..) are put online on the school website (secondary school/orientation/work experience) • From January to May 2014 : the pupils and their parents are searching a placement on themselves. The three hard copies of the contracts must be posted to Mr Killius as soon as possible at School. The pupils and the parents will be informed when necessary by the school website and by the APEEE mailing list. • 30th of May: deadline for receiving at EEB3 the contracts previously posted by the organisation rep. Any contract received after this date will be rejected. • June 2014 : administration of the special cases (ex ; Eurocontrol, European Council…) • From 23rd of June to 4th of July : period recommended by the school to schedule the work experience (the school is still open so that it is possible to intervene in case of problems). Otherwise, work experience can be scheduled later on the summer holidays. • From 2nd of September to All saints Holidays 2014 : writing the work experience report and collecting of the evaluation table from the adult responsible for the placement. • From November to December 2014 : marking of the reports by teachers • The work experience certificates will be delivered at least on June 2015.

21. Need more information ? • Contact your career adviser or • Consult EEB3 website : secondary school/orientation/work experience • Contact Mrs Fouseka : • marifouse@gmail.com / Room A 13

22. This presentation has been designed by Mr Frantz Killius, work experience coordinator in EEB3 from 2011 till 2014