In times past, work experience might have been seen, by employers and students alike, as something of an imposition - things, though, have changed.
Work experience is an important facet of education.
Knowing what to expect in the workplace, where most students will spend the following five decades of their lives, is a good way to provide the motivation they need to stick to their studies.
Placements are organised by Croydon Education Business Partnership on behalf of secondary schools across the borough, and they include opportunities to work with Croydon's Council, one of the borough's largest employers.