By Amie Keenan, St Catherine's

It's always helpful to have a spare pair of hands around the house. Imagine the advantage of having them in the workplace.

For two weeks students from Year 10-11 are sent from the comfort of their safe school routine to the exciting world of work.

Some companies, however, do not feel as enthusiastic to take on work experience as other companies. Those who do have this to say: "From the firm's side we at Evans Butler Wade actively encourage work experience students. As a firm, particularly during the holiday period, you can always use a spare pair of willing hands."

It's not only the spare pair of hands that come in useful to the company. Whilst I was taking part in my work experience I asked several solicitors what the advantages were to having a work experience student. Although many of them replied "it was nice to have a spare pair of hands", one solicitor told me "it was nice to have someone to talk to about my job."

The students, on the other hand, are finally able to experience what the world of working is like; they will have to do many tasks they have never done before. "They must be willing to take an active role in the training and just not see it as time out of school.

"There are many benefits for them. It helps them to become confident in a working environment, even if in our case they choose not to follow a legal career. They can learn how to use various types of equipment. There are also many benefits to listening and watching how people work and interact with one another."

As well as this, the opportunity also gives the students the chance to improve on their maturity, especially when it comes to respecting other workers i.e. teachers at school or when it even comes down to their own job.

I personally found work experience as a very different life from what I had been used to before. The hours were longer and I had to travel further but the work experience could only work if both the company and the student embrace the arrangement 100 per cent.