Work experience

Year 10 Work Experience Week, 6–10 July 2026

We want to support students in gaining meaningful work experience. We want you to understand the types of jobs available within the council and how they impact our community and the people that live here. Local government offers a variety of careers and is an exciting and forward-thinking place to work that really makes a difference to people’s lives.

Therefore, we have designed a programme specifically for year 10 students, which will run over five days. The programme will give you the opportunity to learn about the council as a whole and the services we deliver. You will learn about the career pathways we offer and how they can align to your current studies to help you make informed decisions about your future and improve your job prospects. The week will consist of interactive workshops, talks, activities and meeting lots of interesting people. You will also learn about the skills and behaviours required for the world of work, such as communication, team building, problem solving and self-confidence.

The programme will be held at West Suffolk House, Western Way, Bury St Edmunds.

There will be a maximum of 12 placements.

Work Experience Week 2025

Work Experience Week 2025 TikTok

Criteria

• Must be a current year 10 student.
• Must be at a school within the West Suffolk area.
• Must have permission from your school to attend.
• Applications must be submitted by Monday 11 May 2026.
• Must be able to attend all five days.

How to apply and process

• Download the: Work Experience application form (editable PDF)
• Fully complete and return the application form by email to learningatwork@westsuffolk.gov.uk or alternatively bring into the offices, to the attention of the Learning and Development Team.
• Applications will receive an acknowledgement email.
• The outcome of your application will be sent no later than Monday 18 May 2026.
• If successful, you will need to confirm your attendance by Monday 25 May 2026, if we don’t receive this, we will assume you no longer want the placement, and we will offer it to another student.
• We will provide constructive feedback to all those that apply.
• Further information about the week will be sent to those that are successful nearer the time.

Advice on completing the application form

• Answer all questions.
• Do some research, really think about what you want to get from this.
• Include your hobbies and interests (we like to know about you).
• Take your time in completing it, however, submit it on time.
• Check, check and check, ask someone else to proofread it.
• Make sure your contact details are correct, so we can get in touch with you.

If you don’t meet this criteria, but are still interested in work experience, please contact learningatwork@westsuffolk.gov.uk.