Providing work experience for job seekers

Work experience is a mainstay in many modern workplaces. It gives people the opportunity to expand their understanding of an industry through first-hand experience before they commit themselves to a chosen career path.

It also provides a vital learning experience for job seekers young and old looking to hone their skills to enter the workforce either for the first time or after a long absence.

However, for the employer, work experience provides the chance to see a possible future candidate in action. In this way, you may find work experience to be a more valuable recruiting tool than the standard interview process.

On this page:

• How Work and Income can help
• Contact Work and Income

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How Work and Income can help

You can work with Work and Income to offer someone the opportunity to spend up to four weeks in your business on work experience, at no cost to you.

• Your responsibilities include normal workplace matters such as health and safety, supervision and providing any tools the person may need.
• You don’t have to pay wages, offer permanent work, pay ACC levies or keep the person in your business if things don’t work out.
• In most cases, the person you host will be receiving income support and will continue to receive it while they work with you anyway.

Many of those who participate in the programme have little or no workplace experience. So, even jobs you think are routine may be able to provide them with skills integral to looking for permanent work.

Like anyone in a new environment, the person will need encouragement, support and regular feedback on how they’re doing. Clear directions and meaningful tasks will help them enjoy their time with you and develop their confidence.

Work and Income will:

• research your business and gain an understanding of the sort of person who would benefit from work experience with you
• work with you to determine what experience your business can offer someone
• introduce you to a suitable person and provide information on their skills and abilities
• stay in touch and regularly check on the person’s progress
• provide help if any problems arise.

You decide on the person you’d like to provide work experience for, but it’s your responsibility to carry out any background checks.

Only once you’ve found someone through Work and Income do you sign an agreement with the agency.

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Contact Work and Income

If you would like to offer work experience or find out more about the programme, either:

• call the Work and Income Employer Line: 0800 778 008
• contact Work and Income.

Find out more about Recruiting and Managing staff.