PARENTS and guardians wanting to learn more about work placements, pathways, school-based apprenticeships or traineeships, and work experience are encouraged to attend the upcoming local Parent Drop In sessions.

Hosted by the Glenelg and Southern Grampians Local Learning and Employment Network (GSGLLEN), the sessions will help parents and carers navigate work experience and work placements for students in Years 10 - 12.

The School to Work Brokers at GSGLLEN support students in these year levels with career pathways advice and especially work placements for work experience and vocational training.

The GSGLLEN are offering two Parent Drop In sessions within the Southern Grampians Shire for parents to come in, chat with their team and receive help to boost their confidence when dealing with all things work experience.

The Hamilton session will take place in The Hub next Tuesday, March 7, from 12-5.30pm, with another occurring two weeks later in Balmoral at the Bush Nursing Centre on Tuesday, March 28 from 12-4pm.

The GSGLLEN Enhance Work Experience and Structured Workplace Learning coordinators realise that career advisors in schools have limited time to assist individual students with finding suitable work placement opportunities, causing students to come home with forms and rely on assistance from their parents or guardians.

GSGLLEN executive officer, Anne Murphy, said they had recognised this trend and developed the Parent Drop In sessions to provide much needed support, so parents and guardians can feel confident that they are assisting their student to secure a quality work placement.

“We have come to realise that many of the Year 10 students in our region want and need support to find quality work experience placements,” she said.

“Together with our project partners and the LLEN (Local Learning and Employment Network) team, we can provide that support and encouragement to seek a quality placement of interest to the young person.

“Work experience is often the first opportunity for a young person to gain an insight into the world of work.

“By enhancing what schools are already doing we can make work experience worth experiencing.”

As well as finding work experience placements locally, the “Enhance Work Experience” project, funded by the National Careers Institute, aims to enhance career education and work experience opportunities by increasing access of rural students to ‘industries of choice’ in larger communities.

The GSGLLEN is financially supported by the Department of Education.