Students that undertake on the job training gain vital experience, and learn to handle responsibility. But there are several problems or challenges that on the job training presents for pupils:
- Often, the way the training is described is very different from the activities the pupils end up performing. For example, a student that is offered a placement at a digital marketing agency might be lead to believe he has an opportunity to learn more about the field, and practice some of the skills he hopes to develop.
Instead, there is a high chance that the pupil on work-placement might be bogged down with very basic work such as very basic admin or data entry. - Ill-preparation can also be a hindrance for pupils undergoing work placement.
Entering the high-pressure environment of the workplace can be daunting. To go into that without the right preparation can knock a pupil's confidence. It would be ok if the work-placement is experiences in handling youngsters and nurturing them in the work environment, but this is often not the case, and as mentioned above the employer may use pupils to assist with mundane tasks that will damage the impression the pupil will take away from the experience and the industry in question.
