Work experience
Contents
Work experience
All traineeships must have a single work experience learning aim recorded using the learning aim reference code ZWRKX001 from the LARS database.
For 16 to 18 year old traineeships, the work experience aim must be recorded as the core aim (Aim type = 5).
For 19 to 24 year old traineeships, the work experience aim must be recorded as a component aim (Aim type = 3).
If the learner undertakes multiple work placements during their traineeship, then these are recorded as separate work placement records attached to the single work experience learning aim:
-
For 16 to 18 year old learners, the work experience aim must contain work placement records for all work placements undertaken in the current teaching year.
-
For 19 to 24 year old learners, the work experience aim should contain work placement records for the whole traineeship programme. This can include placements planned for the following teaching year.
The details about each separate work placement are recorded in an additional work placement record that is linked to the work experience learning aim. Each work placement record includes the start and planned end date of the placement, and the employer identifier from the Employer Data Service.
-
The Work placement hours field must also be returned on the work placement entity. This field records the hours planned to be undertaken for each individual work placement record.
-
A value of 1 must be returned in the Work placement hours field for all work placement records on the work experience aim in the following circumstances:
-
Continuing work placement records for 19+ traineeships (funding through Funding model 35),
-
Where the aim was closed in the previous year’s ILR but must continue to be returned in the current year’s ILR (see the migration specification and rules in Appendix B).
-
All traineeship work placements must be with an external employer and the employer identifier must be recorded.
The employer for work experience should be identified before the learner starts a traineeship or within four weeks of starting. A learner can be recording on the ILR as having started a traineeship even if the work experience and the employer are not yet finalised.
The Learning start date for the work experience aim must be the date on which the learner begins their work experience activity. This date may be after programme start date if the work placement is planned to start in the future, or if the placement is yet to be finalised.
If the learner leaves the traineeship programme before starting their work placement, then the work experience aim must be removed from the ILR return. In this circumstance, an alternative core aim must be identified for 16-19 funded learners and recorded as “withdrawn”.