Work experience and traineeships
Work experience is key to bridging the gap between education and the world of work. At its broadest and best, work experience can open young people’s eyes to jobs they have never thought of, help inform career decisions, offer a chance to prove themselves to an employer and help instil the attitudes and behaviours expected at work.
One of the biggest challenges businesses face is finding the right people to help them grow. Recruiting and developing young people is a great way to build a dynamic and productive workforce. They have the talent and skills to help you succeed.
So why do many businesses shy away from recruiting young people? The biggest complaint is that young people lack experience of the workplace. But only a minority (27%) of UK businesses have offered a work experience placement in the last year. This means that young people find themselves in a ‘Catch 22’ situation – can’t get a job without experience and can’t get experience without a job.
In February 2014 we produced a new guide ‘Not Just Making Tea – Reinventing Work Experience’ which explains just how important it is for businesses to inspire young people, busts some myths that have been putting employers off and gives advice on how to go about offering work experience.
We produced the booklet Making Work Experience Work for You (PDF, 269 Kb) with the Department for Education in April 2013. It explains the importance of work experience for both young people and employers, and provides guidance on how employers can offer work experience placements as part of Study Programmes, traineeships, and Supported Internships.
Our publication Business and Schools: Building the World of Work Together, produced in April 2012, focuses on how businesses can work with schools to influence the design and delivery of the curriculum, avoid skills shortages and make sure enough young people are thinking about careers in their sector. Schools outreach can improve recruitment and help a business engage with the local community.
