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Work Experience Toolkit

Work experience toolkit

Work experience placements can provide enthusiastic new staff for farm businesses. This toolkit is designed to help you create new opportunities and make the most of placements on your farm.

You can also find more information on the types of work experience plus our collection of handy resources further down in this Toolkit.

Click on either section of the toolkit in the graphic above for practical advice about work experience placements, or scroll down for more information on the details and benefits of WEX.

You can also find more information on the types of work experience further down in this toolkit.

Members can also access our collection of resources, to help them plan and review work placements.

Find out how you can become a member today.

Young person getting experience of driving a telehandler. Picture: Riccardo Magliola at Vicky Anderson Training.

The benefits of offering work experience

Farmers and growers who've provided work experience say they've seen a range of benefits from offering placements to young people and career changers.

These include:
  • Developing new channels for recruitment
  • Keeping them abreast of current education and qualifications
  • Helping them meet their business’ corporate social responsibility 
  • Making their business and the industry/sector more attractive to potential recruits
  • Motivating their existing staff, as they often enjoy meeting new people and sharing their knowledge with students
  • Bringing fresh ideas and new perspectives into their business

Plan your placement

Follow our steps to success when planning any work experience placement.

Plan your placement

While it may seem simple to arrange a work experience placement, some time spent considering the practical arrangements ahead of time can prevent confusion and save time later.

Take a look at our key considerations to offering placements on a farm.
Follow our steps to success when planning any work experience placement.
Young person getting experience of fence work on a farm. Picture: Riccardo Magliola at Myerscough College.
First steps in planning a placement
Planning a work experience placement ahead of time can save time and prevent confusion later.
Young person training how to fill the sprayer. Picture: Riccardo Magliola at Harper Adams.
How many hours should I provide?
Read our tips on what you should expect of any placement student in terms of hours and duties.
Young person getting experience operating a tractor pto. Picture: Riccardo Magliola, at Harper Adams.
Should I pay a placement student?
Payment in not usually made for school placements, though there are instances when payment should be considered.
Farmer instructing young employee on farm. Picture: Ruth Downing.
Who should I contact to set up a placement?
After planning the duties and duration of any placement you can then look to set a placement up.

Prepare your business

Take measures to protect your business, and your placement student.

Prepare your business

You could be forgiven for thinking that welcoming young people onto your farm could be daunting, but that needn't be the case. We look through the legal and insurance implications of any placement here.
Take measures to protect your business, and your placement student.
Grower providing instruction to young person on his farm. Picture: Ruth Downing.
What aspects of the law should I be aware of?
Find out more about your legal responsibility when hosting work experience placements on a farm.
Performing a thorough risk assessment ahead of any placement allows you to have a clear plan on how to safely introduce new staff to the farm. Picture: SeventyFour/Shutterstock.com
How do I produce a thorough risk assessment? 
It's important to perform a thorough risk assessment before welcoming any placements on to your farm.
Young person driving tractor on a working farm. Picture: Ruth Downing.
Do I need additional insurance?
Be sure to check your existing policies to ensure you have the correct cover before starting a placement.
DBS checks are not essential for staff working with people aged 16-17.
Do I need a DBS check before hosting a placement?
Information on the best practice surrounding DBS checks when taking on young people aged 16-17.

More information on work experience

Use our explainers here to get a better understanding of work experience, it's importance to the development of agriculture and horticulture and the benefits of placements for young people.
Young person getting experience of farm work.
What is work experience?
Find out more about the different types of work-related learning and how your business can benefit from them.
Young people working in tractor together. Picture: Riccardo Magliola at Myerscough College.
Why is work experience important?
Agriculture and horticulture has a lot to benefit from improving access to work experience placements.
Young people develop skills and confidence in their early experiences of work. Picture: Riccardo Magliola at Harper Adams.
What do young people get from work experience?
Find out how work experience placements can be crucial to developing employability skills in young people.

Members get more

TIAH members also benefit from a range of downloadable templates and resources to help them improve their business management, staff recruitment, staff development and more.

Find out more on how you can benefit from TIAH membership and sign up today.

Work experience news and blogs

Dairy farmer Gaynor Wellwood tells us about her extensive experience of offering work experience at her farm in Leicestershire. 
Gaynor Wellwood: work experience can help farms
Dairy farmer Gaynor Wellwood tells us about her extensive experience of offering work experience at her farm. 
Students taking part in lessons at Susan's Farm, Carlisle.
Opportunities and challenges with placements
Susan’s Farm Education Manager Helen Ward discusses the benefits of work experience placements.
Jhunjun Salas, head herdsman at Saltby Dairy Unit, with Jess Morgan and Ellie Brown.
'Placements offer a unique opportunity to learn'
Two second-year students tell us about their experiences being on work placement at Saltby farm.
It is important to make the most of your time when on a work experience placement. Shutterstock.com/tonton
Seven tips for making the most of work experience
Work experience can be exciting and rewarding, but it's vital to most of your time on farm. ​
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Partner organisations

We would like to thank the following organisations for assisting in the production of this Toolkit.
Linking Environment and Farming logo.
National Farmers Union logo.
Yorkshire Agricultural Society logo

All the information and templates in this Toolkit are provided to help you form your own policies and documents on-farm. If you are unsure as to their suitability then you should seek professional legal advice. You an find out more information about the provision of this information in our General website terms and conditions.