Nick Chambers, CEO, Education and Employers Charity

Just over two years ago, Labour's Manifesto committed to “guaranteeing two weeks’ work experience for every young person”. Then-Shadow Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson pledged to “recruit a thousand new careers advisors”. Little has been heard about the recruitment of advisers, but in June, the DfE published its updated careers statutory guidance:

Years 7 - 9:  one week’s worth of activities consisting of multiple, varied and meaningful employer-led activities to explore different industries and careers and involve active engagement with a diverse range of employers… activities should mostly take place within the workplace.

Years 10 - 11: one week’s worth of placement(s) which should be meaningful, in-person and immersive allowing pupils to experience a real working environment and begin to develop work-based knowledge, skills and behaviours.

Detailed study 
Our new report Work Experience; past, present and future considers impact, delivery and what the DfE's requirements will mean in practice. It starts with the 1963 Newson Report when work experience was first introduced recommending that people from the world of work went into schools to talk to students and that students, as they approached the time when they were due to leave school, spent time in a place of work to experience what it was like. It examines the various initiatives different governments have taken to work experience and, in particular, the funding and infrastructure that existed to support it. 

What we found 
Our schools survey found strong support for the principle of providing young people with experiences of work. Important new research findings in the report proves experiences of work can reduce the odds of young people becoming NEET by 80%. These findings are qualitatively consistent with the analysis undertaken for the report of 47 international longitudinal studies. 

The report found schools across the country organising some brilliant work experience programme but they depended heavily on staffing, budget and location. Currently, only 58% of KS4 students currently take part in any form of work experience. The study also found that 61% of placements take place in Year 10 and 38% in Year 12. When asked which year groups should have placements, 76% of teachers said Year 10 and 55% Year 12.

New DfE requirement not achievable
However, many felt that the new requirements were not achievable, especially in KS3 without additional support. 80% of teachers said workplace visits would be difficult or very difficult to organise, rising to 94% for job shadowing. Quality placements are scarce, schools often compete with each other and with colleges, while rising travel costs and staff capacity add further strain. 

It’s who you know 
The survey found that 81% of young people currently rely on family and friends to find their own work experience placements. Without infrastructure to support less-connected young people, mandating work experience won’t close this gap, it will widen it. The best opportunities will go to those with the best connections, leaving the most disadvantaged with the least opportunity.  

The report concludes that the Work Experience Guarantee is undeliverable without proper support, and that mandating it without infrastructure will only advantage the already advantaged.

Government not practising what it preaches 
Employers like schools are supportive of the principle but again found logistics and bureaucracy very challenging. The report discovered that the Government is not practising what it preaches with only 22% of government departments mentioning work experience on their own websites. The DfE, the DWP and the Cabinet Office do not appear to offer placements to under-16s. 

Careers Information Service not fit for purpose
The report stated that the National Careers Service website is ‘not fit for purpose’. The format is not engaging for young people and doesn’t reflect how they search for and access information. One telling example: when a student searches for career opportunities in the green sector. The first choice of suggested job is that of a Royal Marines Commando because commandos wear green berets. Those searching for careers in AI find train driver, paint sprayer and waiter among the top 10 suggestions.

Four options
The report outlined four options for the government to consider:

1. Essentially the status quo with little or no new funding available for schools.

2. Reinstating the scale of infrastructure that existed when work experience was last mandatory in 2009 at a cost of circa £100 million.

3. Prioritising specific groups of young people. 

4. This option is the most ambitious, though not necessarily the most expensive. It takes a systemic approach to ensuring every pupil leaves school genuinely prepared for the world of work. This would start in primary with volunteers from the world of work going into schools to help broaden horizons and raise aspirations, showing children the meaning and relevance of the subjects they're studying. KS3 interventions would take place in-schools or virtually, enabling employers to give their time and resource to host visits/placements at their workplace for older students either in KS4 or KS5. It recommends providing ring-fenced funding to schools to help them meet the requirements. An alternative might be a government-funded brokerage service focused on work experience placements. Given that schools are responsible and accountable for work placements it makes sense for them to become the effective customer for this service, entitled to a set number of placements made on their behalf. The organisation would be required to meet the needs of schools, with quality of delivery determined by the schools themselves.

Pivotal role for ASCL
For meaningful, sustainable change, the report recommends that the Prime Minister brings together the leaders of main organisations that represent education and business, and develops a clear national framework and a plan of action, agreeing the requirements of any brokerage service and what the National Careers Service should deliver.

Free support for schools
If you are looking for free support then Inspiring the Future which was set up 15 years ago with input from ASCL, gives schools and colleges free direct access to tens of thousands of volunteers and employers. Simply search, select a work experience activity and send them a message. Over 13,500 schools have registered, nearly 100,000 people have signed up as volunteers, and to date it has enabled over 6.5 million interactions between young people and the world of employment. It is an approach that has been cited as a global exemplar by the OECD and replicated by other countries. 

Work Experience: Past, Present and Future is published by the Education and Employers charity and funded by the DHL UK Foundation. Authors: Dr Anthony Mann, Professor Prue Huddleston, Associate Professor Deirdre Hughes OBE, Dr Chris Percy, with Georgie Benzecry and Nick Chambers. The full report, overview and options can be found here.