Grade 9 Work Experience: An Important Step Towards Career Orientation

For our year 9 students, aged around 14 to 15, work experience is an established part of the school year. For one week, they step out of the classroom and gain experience in a company or organisation of their choice – in and around Toulouse, in Germany, or in other countries.
This year once again, the range of placements was particularly diverse. Our students completed internships at the German Bundestag in Berlin, the University of Toulouse, a hospital in Munich, the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, as well as at Liebherr and Lidl in Germany, veterinary practices, craft businesses, and Airbus in Toulouse.

Discovering Interests and Exploring Careers

For many young people, work experience provides a first concrete insight into the world of work. It gives them the opportunity to discover their interests more clearly, experience different professions at first hand, and begin developing ideas about possible future paths. The aim is not to make final decisions at this stage, but rather to explore, ask questions, and gain experience.
The diversity of this year’s placements reflects the wide range of interests among our pupils – from crafts, engineering, and medicine to research, politics, and public administration.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

In addition to career orientation, the internship also strengthens important personal and academic skills. Pupils adapt to new working environments, take on responsibility, observe professional processes, and interact with specialists in different fields. Those completing their placement abroad or in multilingual environments also have the opportunity to apply their language skills in everyday situations.
The internship therefore becomes an important step on the path towards the upper secondary years and beyond: it connects academic learning with practical experience and helps pupils better understand their own strengths and interests.

Sharing Experiences

After the internship, students write reports and present their experiences to classmates and future participants. In this way, younger year groups also benefit from the insights, experiences, and practical advice gained during the placements.

The feedback from pupils shows how formative this week can be. Paula, who completed her internship at the German Bundestag in Berlin, particularly highlighted the human aspect of the experience:

“I learned that you should always be friendly and approach people openly. It opens many doors for you.”

Optician Sophia, who completed her internship at an optician’s practice, also looks back enthusiastically on the experience. During her placement, she gained a wide range of insights – from eye tests to the design and fitting of glasses.

“I was impressed by how much I was allowed to do during my internship. I was really able to immerse myself in the profession and experience what everyday working life looks like. I would like to build on this experience and look independently for further internship opportunities. This autumn, my next placement will be at a large hospital in Toulouse, which I am already very much looking forward to.”