But research finds disadvantaged pupils at risk of missing out
New research suggests quality work experience can be difficult to access for disadvantaged young people, meaning they are potentially missing out on the crucial benefits it offers. A new report by the charity Education and Employers has found that young people who experience the highest levels of employer engagement before the age of 16 have 80 per cent lower odds of becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training), compared to those who had the least experience. They also have much better odds of having a clear post-GCSE plan, getting onto the course/training they wanted, and feeling what they did at 16-18 was useful in the long-term.
The new report, Work Experience: Past, Present and Future is a detailed analysis of global research on the impact of employer engagement. Funded by DHL UK Foundation, it draws on findings from three original surveys of young adults aged 19 to 26, teachers, small employers, and 47 international OECD studies. The report found that access to high-quality work experience placements and meaningful employer encounters is often limited to those with well-connected families. For 81 per cent per cent of young people, work placements are arranged by them or their families. Meanwhile more than three quarters of school staff (78 per cent) said family connections are the main reason some young people benefit more than others. These inequalities in access are reinforced by a combination of geographic isolation, economic disadvantage, travel costs, limited employer capacity to engage, and insufficient resources in schools.
The Government recently announced a new policy requiring all students under 16 to complete ten days of workplace experience by the end of Year 11, however the study found that many teachers were very concerned about its deliverability. Currently only 58 per cent of Key Stage 4 pupils complete any work experience. When asked, 94 per cent of teachers said job shadowing would be difficult or very difficult to organise, while 81 per cent said workplace visits are difficult or very difficult to arrange. Feedback suggests employers are willing to engage, but they state limited resources, bureaucracy and competing demands are significant barriers. Meanwhile schools say they face a shortage of high-quality placements, competition from other schools, rising travel costs and difficulties releasing staff.
The report also includes an analysis of government departments and discovered only 22 per cent of them mention work experience on their own websites. For example, the Department for Education, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Cabinet Office do not appear to offer work experience placements to under-16s.
The report argues that most support is required to avoid the government’s guarantee of 10 days’ work experience simply becoming a ‘tick-box exercise’. Nick Chambers, CEO of Education and Employers said: ‘The Government’s ambition is absolutely right. But the evidence in this report and the surveys of young people, schools and employers suggest there is a real risk that without a proper infrastructure and funding this policy will simply advantage the advantaged, widening the social mobility gap further. If most work experience placements continue to be found mainly through family connections, the best opportunities will inevitably go to the most well-connected young people. Good work experience should not depend on who your parents know or where you happen to live.’
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, also commented: ‘School leaders recognise the value of high-quality work experience, alongside careers advice, in helping young people to plan for their future. This important research comes as the latest statutory guidance increases expectations on schools further, especially on delivering a universal two‑week work experience offer – but without the additional investment or employer capacity needed to make this deliverable in practice. Without significant new government funding and action to secure the buy-in of businesses, as this report shows, these worthy ambitions are unlikely to be deliverable.’