The School of Work

The main function of the Work School is to provide students from the final grades of primary school with constructive summer jobs, as well as education in a safe working environment. All students in grades 8, 9, and 10 can work on a wide range of assignments in Reykjavik, mostly involving gardening and maintenance.

Enrollment starts in the beginning of April 2023.

Enroll in the School of Work

Enrollment

Parents enroll their adolescent children using an electronic enrollment form for the School of Work. An electronic ID or IceKey is required. All enrolled students from grades 8, 9, and 10 will be given a job.

Pay

Information about hourly wages, pay periods, pay slips, vacation payments, personal tax credits, illness, and permits.

More about pay at the School of Work

Daily Working Hours

Grade 8

  • Students work for 3.5 hours a day.
  • The group’s daily working hours are 8:15 am – 11:45 am or 12:15 pm – 3:45 pm.
  • The work is either before or after lunch for one week at a time. Thus, the working hours of the groups are expected to change on a weekly basis.
  • Please note that students can not work exclusively before or after lunch during their period of employment.

Grades 9 and 10

  • Students work for 7 hours a day.
  • Daily working hours are 8:30 am – 3:30 pm.

Period of Employment

All Grades

Each student will be allocated work during one working period in the summer of 2022.

  • 1. The period is from June 10 to July 1.
  • 2. The period is from June 4 to July 22.
  • 3. The period is from July 25 to August 15.

Each period has 15 working days. Work is carried out all weekdays except holidays.

Groups

Students are grouped by their age and place of residence. Today, it is rare for students to join groups outside their district.

In a few cases, students from grades 9 and 10 are grouped together, usually when their school has fewer students.

Usually, students are grouped with their peers from the same school—friends should not expect to be put in the same group. We believe that it is healthy for everyone to meet new people and work with someone other than their closest friends.

Workplaces & Facilities

We have workplaces at most of Reykjavik’s primary schools, so many students are put in the group at the closest school to where they live. A few workplaces are located inside the district, or in public parks, and 1 or 2 are outside Reykjavik.

  • Since all work is conducted outdoors, it is essential that students wear protective clothing and good work shoes and work gloves.
  • All workplaces have facilities for meal breaks. Since we do not have access to schools, we use work sheds.
  • It is important that students pack a good lunch and drinks, because they are not expected to go shopping during meal and coffee breaks.
  • Students with facilities in work sheds have access to dry toilets, or bathrooms at the school.
  • Students who work in Austurheidar/Ulfarsfell commute by bus. In other cases, students will receive a bus ticket to get to work if their work school group is located outside their home neighborhood.

Assignments & Worker Safety

The School of Work is an open-air school, and most of the school's assignments are focused on maintaining greenery and garden beds around Reykjavik. There are some painting projects every summer—mostly intended for students with and they are especially conceived for students with plant allergies.

More about assignments and worker safety

Education

The School of Work partners with the Peer Education Center run by Hitt Husid Youth Center in Reykjavik. Peer educators enter all 9th and 10th grade groups with a variety of prevention education. The education concerns a wide range of topics through discussions and team building games that seek, among other things, to enhance the teenagers' self-image.

More about education at the School of Work

Any other questions?

Send inquiries to vinnuskoli@reykjavik.is

  • Office of the School of Work- Borgartun 12–14, 105 Reykjavik.
  • Work School Service Center - At Skeljanes in Skerjafjordur.