Work Experience and Internships
Work experience, internships and shadowing schemes are increasingly used by employers looking to attract and assess talent, and by participants looking to build skills and workplace experience.
These arrangements can raise practical and legal issues, including whether an intern or volunteer is treated as a worker for national minimum wage purposes. Clear paperwork and consistent processes help reduce misunderstandings and manage risk.
Work experience, volunteering and internship guidance
The Guidance Notes – Work Experience, Volunteering & Internships help employers understand the different types of placement and the practical issues that can arise when setting up work experience, volunteering or internship arrangements.
The guidance is a useful starting point before deciding whether a placement should be managed through an informal work experience arrangement, a structured internship process, or an employment contract.
Setting up an internship or work experience placement
The Internship Policy helps employers set a consistent internal approach to internships, including how opportunities are offered and managed.
For an individual placement, the Letter Offering Work Experience Placement or Internship can be used to confirm the offer and set expectations at the outset.
When an internship is an employment relationship
Where the internship arrangement is intended to operate as employment, the Internship Employment Contract provides a more formal contract for that relationship.
This distinction is important because work experience, internships and volunteering arrangements can raise questions about employment status and national minimum wage obligations.
Confidentiality, induction and placement management
This set of documents is designed to help employers offer and manage work experience and internship opportunities, including setting expectations, handling confidentiality, and covering basic health and safety steps.
The Health and Safety Induction Checklist – Work Experience helps employers cover basic health and safety steps at the start of a placement. A separate Work Experience Confidentiality Statement is also included where confidentiality needs to be addressed.
- Guidance Notes – Work Experience, Volunteering & Internships
- Internship Policy
- Letter Offering Work Experience Placement or Internship
- Internship Employment Contract
- Work Experience Confidentiality Statement
- Health and Safety Induction Checklist – Work Experience
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