Work experience

Work experience is highly valued by many prospective employers, including the Broads Authority.

We have strong links with schools and colleges through our Broads Curriculum and regard work placements as part of our community partnership work.

We aim to enable students to:

• Learn and apply new skills
• Interact with adults in the workplace
• Find out about career options
• Have a positive introduction to the world of work
• Build confidence

We benefit by:

• Increasing students' understanding of the special qualities of the Broads and our work
• Developing our links with local communities
• Increasing the future applicant pool for jobs
• Exchanging knowledge, understanding and ideas

Work experience students do not automatically become volunteers at the end of their placement. If they wish to continue coming out with us following their placement, they can consider applying to be a volunteer.

Work Experience Placements

The Broads Authority offers work experience placements for students with the following Broads Authority teams:

• Construction and Maintenance - Practical countryside work, footpath and moorings work, cutting back fen and tree work.
• Rangers - Patrolling rivers and Broads, checking moorings, bank work, removing items blocking the river, events, practical conservation work and tree work.
• Environment Officers - Pony checks, plant surveys and inputting data onto IT systems.
• Communications - Helping at yacht stations and information centres (Easter to October only) and helping graphic designers.
• Education Officer - Working with school groups and at events.
• Recreation Officer - Rights of Way, land-based and water-based activity projects.
• Other Opportunities - Sometimes opportunities are offered in other teams for students with particular interests.

Most work placements will be a mixture of the above depending on the interests of the students and the availability of staff.

Who can apply?

We offer work experience placements for secondary school students aged 14 to 18 as well as Easton College students. Students may be placed with maintenance teams to work on sites across the Broads or with other departments of the Authority. Regular placements usually last between one and two weeks.

If you are considering the Broads Authority for your work placement as part of your Easton College course, places are limited and it takes a minimum of 3 weeks to process a student’s application, arrange and run an Assessment Day and receive the required reference.

Easton College students are offered a work experience placement for one day a week, September through to June.  A second year placement is not automatically guaranteed. Students need to provide their own drinks, packed lunches and appropriate clothing. We will provide appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

Students will need to be able to make their own way to a range of locations throughout the northern and southern Broads for 8:00am.

How to apply

To apply for work experience opportunities with the Broads Authority, please fill out the following online Application Form: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/a8TQHvPsXN

University students

Unfortunately, we are currently unable to offer any work experience placements for university students.

If we do have any future work experience placements for university students, they will be for specific projects only and will be advertised on our Current Volunteering Opportunities web page.

To register your interest and hear about any such future work experience opportunities for university students please complete our volunteering web form.

Other information

Clothing: We ask that all students come fully prepared for work with suitable clothing, footwear and plenty food and drink for the day. We will provide all the personal protective equipment needed. We may have to send students home if they arrive without the proper items.

Short-term Work Programmes: Before starting their placement, we will give students a timetable. It will show where they will be working each day, where to meet and how to contact their supervisor for the day. Workdays usually start between 07.45 and 9.00am and finish by 4.00pm. This may be different for each day.

Longer-term Day Release Work Programmes: These will be arranged directly with the staff involved.

Induction: We will give students a full induction and a health and safety talk. They will also get a general risk assessment for their placement.

Insurance: The Broads Authority’s public and employers liability insurance is covered by Zurich Municipal