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Teacher Externship Guidance for Employers

Once on-boarded this guide will support your employer to host an Externship from start to finish.

Aim

The aim of the Teacher Externship is to link the world of work to the classroom and has a three-fold approach for employers, teachers and students:

  • Firstly, giving students an insight into employment, the career paths and opportunities available to them.
  • Secondly, increasing teachers’/lecturers’ knowledge and understanding of the world of work outside of the classroom, enabling them to start to consider where their curriculum area may link and be used in the workplace.
  • Thirdly, giving employers the opportunity to increase understanding of the world of work in schools for both teachers and students, and to develop their future workforce.
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Key components of the programme

The Externship

  • The employer hosts a 1-day externship (or 2 Virtual experiences) for teachers/lecturers.
  • The purpose of the externship is to give teachers/ lecturers an opportunity to explore an employer in terms of its products, services and future labour needs and, if possible, to consider how their curriculum subject applies within a commercial setting.
  • Prior to the externship the teachers/lecturers taking part will have been asked to find out some basic background information about the employer i.e. what the business does? Where they are located? Structure of the business?
  • In planning for the 1-day externship it might be helpful to identify relevant staff to contribute to the day. It would be useful to have 4 departments and input from 4 employees, but obviously this is down to what is possible on the day and the staff you have available to contribute.

Brief the employees identified to take part in the externship on what they will be asked. Please note the key things might include:

  • What do employees do on a day to day basis – what is an average day like? How does their job role fit within the wider business?
  • What has their career path been to get to this point?
  • What skills and attributes do they use in their work?
  • The culture of the business and organisation.
  • Are there any obvious links with the school curriculum: Maths? English? Geography? Science etc.?

Establish a draft agenda and schedule for the externship day to share with staff and teachers/lecturers.

This should include:

  • Location of the externship i.e. postcode, any specific arrival instructions and parking.
  • Arrival time and who to ask for, are there any possible access requirements?
  • Any specific Health & Safety and/or other company policies teachers need to be aware of.
  • Notification of any requirement for specific clothing or footwear.
  • Any other specific briefing information you would like the teachers to have prior to the externship.
  • Lunch arrangements.
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Download the full document

  • Guidance for Employers to use as a guide to help organise and host Teacher Externships. It can be used to guide the employer through the Teacher Externship process from start to finish including a useful template to use when sharing logistics of the day with school/ college staff.