How to Manage Student Expectations

It will be useful to have a list of tasks/duties and/or a

work plan for the work experience placement.

Be clear on the tasks you want the young person to carry

out and/or which projects you want them to contribute to.

It would be good to discuss their expectations at the pre-

placement interview and explain what you can offer.

The work plan can be a standard plan which is adapted

for each candidate, so you don’t need to develop a

new plan each time a work experience placement

is hosted. But it needs to be flexible and, while

responding to your organisation’s needs, should also

be tailored to the young person’s individual abilities.

Each work experience participant will be different, with

varying skill levels and abilities. However, it is important

to manage the young person’s expectations and to

ensure that they have a realistic understanding of the kind

of tasks they will be carrying out during their placement.