Student Experiences of the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme

94 ENGAGING YOUNG PEOPLE?did the work experience in if it wasn’t for the school like. (Mary, 22,completed LCA, home duties)It was evident that the established contacts of the school wereparticularly important for obtaining work experience. The school thatAoibhin attended appeared to have some linkages with employers in thelocal area. She indicated that her school had recommended workplacements where LCA students from that school had gone before:Did you know them personally or did the school help you?The school helped, they had lots of places where had taken LCA students before,so if we had an idea of where we wanted to go they’d then write up a letter to saythat we’re a student and we’re doing a work experience and send that off.(Aoibhin, 22, completed LCA, unemployed)In her interview Linda outlined that her Career Guidance teacher wasthe person who made initial contact with the employer with whom she hadher work experience placement. However, it would seem that this methodof securing a work placement was a preference on behalf of the school,given that Linda’s father worked for the company in which she had herplacement:The career guidance we had in fifth year was real nice like, because he actuallyhelped me get mine [work placement], he rang up my, the place for me and justasked and then I had to go for an interview and stuff like that, so.So the teacher aided you in that really, in getting you in there?Yeah, a lot of people he did pick out places for, if you couldn’t get any, you know.(Linda, 21, completed LCA, student)Derek also attended a school that offered recommendations to studentswhen searching for job placements. Despite this support in place, Derekopted to use a family connection to obtain a work experience that he wasinterested in instead of using the school linkage. He was eager to work in agarage and got his placement through his father’s friend:I, well they [the school] recommended you go to a few different spots but I actuallywent to one place, the place I started off was my dads friend had a garage, a bodyshop and the, I was out there and I liked it so much I stayed on for two years.Did you yeah? You stayed, and was your teacher okay withthat?What, oh yeah, because they knew I was mad into doing that, so. (Derek, 21,completed LCA, employed)6.4.2 PERSONAL NETWORKSThe interviews indicated that the majority of LCA students wereresponsible for finding their own work placements and this was largelyachieved on an individual level through the use of family and friends. Workplacements also tended to be found locally and often in the services orindustry sector (perhaps reflecting the social class composition of the LCAgroup: see Chapter 4 for LCA take up by social class background).Maurice obtained his work experience with the help of his aunt whoorganised his placement in the local newsagents: