§ Mrs. FyfeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what monitoring is undertaken of schoolchildren involved in work experience schemes at workplaces; and how the benefit or otherwise of each scheme is evaluated. [30719]
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§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonPreparation takes place before a placement so that pupils know what issues to explore and record. Guidance is available from the Scottish Office Education Department for employers, parents and pupils. During placements, school staff pay visits to help ensure that maximum benefit is derived. Placements are also monitored for health and safety and there must be suitable insurance cover.
Pupils are monitored during the placement to provide a record of what they have done. After each placement, there is full debriefing with teachers. Most placements, including the preparation and debriefing, satisfy the criteria for a pupil to gain the Scottish Vocational Education Council work experience module which provides a measure of the usefulness of the placement.