WORK EXPERIENCE

Enable students to understand what it means to be part of the world of work and learn the culture of a company first-hand with work experience.

We understand that your time as an educator is limited, which is why we have made our service as quick and easy as possible.

We offer two easy ways for students to take part in work experience placements; through Workfinder and through our Sustainable Futures Programme.

What is Work Experience?

The traditional model of work experience is changing. As companies move to more remote locations and time is limited, placements have had to adapt to meet this change. Through Workfinder and Sustainability Placements, students can access virtual and in-person flexible options for work experience.

Placement delivery could include:

• Block placements - a day, 3 days, a week
• Extended Placements - one day a week over a term
• Workplace Shadowing - shadowing an employee for a day
• Insight Days - a taster day for a group of students, or tour of the workplace
• Internships - 1-3 month opportunities

What is the impact of Work Experience?

It offers a range of benefits for young people, such as providing:

• Insight into the world of work that improved their ability to make decisions about the future,
• Helps them to understand workplace ‘norms’ and behaviours, and different sorts of workplaces;
• Career-relevant skills valued by employers including communication, teamwork, resilience and confidence, and;
• If done right, offers improved long-term careers outcomes, including wage-premiums, employability, and a reduced likelihood of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training).

The CBI found nearly one-third of employers rank work experience among their top three factors when recruiting school and college leavers, alongside broader skills like resilience, communication and time management. In their opinion, work experience not only shapes a young person’s decision about their future career, but also prepares them for the modern world.

Engaging in work experience will help and support you to meet the following Gatsby Benchmarks:

Benchmark 1: A stable careers programme

Benchmark 3: Addressing the needs of each pupil

Benchmark 5: Encounters with employers and employees

Benchmark 6: Experiences of workplaces

Useful research & resources

In 2019 we commissioned research looking at how educators and policymakers could make Work Experience Fit for Purpose. This report was accompanied by further research into understanding the most appropriate interventions for young people throughout their educational journey.

From our research we found that this encounter type is most appropriate for the development of young people from ideally 16 and up as they are approaching decisions about post-16 or post-18 education future.

Read both reports to get more information and context.

Are you a business looking for help to set up work experience projects? - click here to see how we can help