Trident short-term work experience programme

Our short term work experience programmes are for students in the borough’s schools and in some alternative educational provision.

We currently coordinate placements for approximately 2,000 pre-16 students and 600 post-16 students each year.

Trident is part of the Education Business Service and was accredited with the Award for Education Business Excellence (AEBE). This award is the national quality standard used to assess and accredit the performance of education business partnership organisations.

What Trident offers

Trident programmes include:

• pre 16 placements for students in key stage 4. Placements are for 10 days and take place towards the end of year 10 or at the start of year 11
• post 16 placements in support of vocational programmes undertaken by students, for example BTEC first diploma, BTEC national diploma, CACHE programmes including study programmes
• post 16 programmes coordinated for students studying A levels with the objective of providing career exploration opportunities
• tailored placements for students with specific needs

The Trident service encompasses all aspects of work experience coordination including:

• working with schools to develop best practice in the organisation of work experience and the use of work experience to enhance young peoples’ personal development
• recruiting organisations in the borough and central London to support the programme
• identifying placements for students and matching students to suitable opportunities
• visiting organisations to check health and safety and insurance as well as helping them to develop high quality programmes
• providing all the necessary documentation required by students, employers, parents, teachers and funding organisations
• dealing with enquiries from all associated parties
• monitoring programme quality on a continuous basis

Getting on to a Trident programme

Applications are not made directly to Trident but through referral. For referrals onto the programme please speak to your school or educational establishment.

Raising the participation age

All young people are required to continue in education or training until their eighteenth birthday.

This doesn’t mean that you have to stay in school. There are alternatives:

• full-time study in a school, college or with a training provider
• full-time work or volunteering combined with part-time education or training
• an apprenticeship

The vast majority of 16 and 17 year-olds already choose to continue in education or training after school because it gives them the best chance to get the skills and knowledge that universities and employers are looking for.

Young people who continue in education or training after they reach 16 are more likely to achieve higher qualifications, this helps them earn more over their lifetime – on average, young people with 2 or more A levels earn around 14% more than those without.

Working full-time

You will still be able to work full-time if you want to, or volunteer or even set up your own business. But you will also need to undertake part-time training, or study in order to meet the duty to participate – this will allow you to get accredited qualifications.

Financial support

You can receive support through the 16-19 Bursary fund to help with essential costs like:

• transport to school or college
• a lunchtime meal
• equipment for your course

You can take a summer job and then go onto to a full-time course from September. If you continue in full-time work you’ll need to combine that with part-time study.

Find out more

Your school or college can tell you about the various options open to you, or direct you to the careers service.

Raising the participation age - Gov.uk