Page 79 - Ontario Schools: Kindergarten to Grade 12

8.2 Work Experience
Work experience is a component of a course that provides students with a learning opportunity in the workplace for a limited period of time – from one to four weeks. Some requirements for work experience mirror those for cooperative education programs.
Student preparation must include instruction related to job-readiness skills, health and safety procedures in the workplace, and school and placement expectations. A work experience learning plan (WELP) based on the curriculum expectations of the unit(s) in which the work experience occurs must be developed in collabora- tion with the participating placement supervisor. Students should be monitored at least once at their placement to ensure that their learning is consistent with the WELP. Students should be provided with opportunities to analyse their work experience and integrate it with their in-school learning.
Work experience placements must comply with the placement assessment criteria outlined in Cooperative Education and Other Forms of Experiential Learning: Policies and Procedures for Ontario Secondary Schools (2000).
8.3 Job Shadowing and Job Twinning
Job shadowing and job twinning may be offered to students from Grade 7 to Grade 12 as part of curriculum delivery or as part of the guidance and career education program. Job shadowing allows a student to spend one-half to one day (or, in some cases, up to three days) observing a worker in a specific occupation. Job twinning provides the opportunity for the student to observe a cooperative education student at his or her placement for one-half to one day.
The preparation of students for job shadowing and job twinning should include instruction related to workplace expectations and health and safety requirements. Students should be given the opportunity to reflect on their experience and the learning that has occurred.
Schools are responsible for ensuring the selection of appropriate placements in safe work environments. A Work Education Agreement form must be completed for a job shadowing or job twinning experience that lasts for more than one day if the student is fourteen years of age or older. If the student is under fourteen years of age or if the job shadowing or job twinning experience lasts one day
or less, these experiences should be treated as field trips.
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