South Australian work experience survey, 1983

This study's aim was to gain a clearer picture of how schools organised their work experience programs and what type of employment students were placed in. It is the first comprehensive State-wide examination of Work Experience Programs in South Australian schools. The first three sections of the report cover information on placements, numbers involved, locations, problems, abuses and difficulties. The survey indicates difficulties arising from lack of resources/time in schools, inadequate counselling of students, limited contact with employers and extremely sex-stereotyped placements. Topics covered were the numbers of male and female students enrolled in the program and the numbers placed in employment in each secondary grade; the number of teachers who assisted with the organisation of the program; assessment of the adequacy of time allocated to the program; strategies for locating employers willing to participate; counselling of students and follow up activities; problems encountered with the program; views on the aims of the program, and whether these aims had been met well; opinions on the amount of support needed from within the school to effectively run a program; and the numbers of male and female students placed, within specified broad occupational groupings. Background information was also collected on the location of the school and the total number of secondary enrolments.