Policy and opinion pieces

At Futures for All , quality and impact are at the heart of everything we do. We believe that meaningful work experience is not just about placing young people in organisations; it is about creating structured, purposeful and high-impact opportunities that genuinely prepare them for the future of work. To achieve this, there must be a clear and consistent system of quality practice underpinning every placement. That is why we developed our Work Experience Quality Guide . What is the Work...

By James Eldon, Executive Principal at Manchester Academy We all remember our work experience. We asked our parents whether they could set us up with a job for a week and they talked to friends, and we were off for our formative stumble through the world of work. Anyone who has seen my DIY skills would testify that I was never a natural engineer, but because my dad managed a factory, that’s where I went. I did use a soldering iron badly which was immense fun. As an experience of work though,...

High-quality work experience  has the power to shape futures, build confidence, and unlock new possibilities. Yet today, hundreds of thousands of young people are still being ‘locked out’ of the networks and opportunities that can help them thrive. To help deliver on the government’s ambition of two weeks of high-quality work experience for every young person, Futures For All – the UK’s  leading work experience charity  – has published a new policy report setting out practical, scalable...

<p>What makes high-quality work experience? Introducing the definition and indicators of impactful practice Speakers for Schools Launches a New Framework for High-Quality, Impact-Driven Work Experience Speakers for Schools is proud to launch its latest research, setting out a clear, evidence-based framework for delivering high-quality work experience that is purposeful, holistic, and designed to deliver lasting [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Shaping the Future of FE: Our Evidence to the Education Select Committee’s FE and Skills Inquiry Our written evidence has been published as part of the Education Select Committee’s FE and Skills Inquiry. Here we outline an overview of the evidence with put to the committee. The FE sector plays a vital role in preparing [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Our 2023/24 Impact Report reflects a transformative year of empowering young people, breaking barriers, and driving social mobility.&nbsp; This year has been transformative for Speakers for Schools as we continued to break down barriers to social mobility and equip young people with the tools to achieve their aspirations. From enhancing work experience programmes to amplifying [&hellip;]</p>

Our response to The Sutton Trust's research on the stark inequalities in access to creative industry careers. Younger adults from working-class backgrounds are 4 times less likely to work in creative industries compared to their middle-class peers. Meanwhile, both top-selling musicians and BAFTA-nominated actors are far more likely than the public to have attended private

<p>Our Submission to the Curriculum and Assessment Review’s Call for Evidence Earlier this autumn, the Government launched an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, led by Professor Becky Francis. The review aims to examine the current National Curriculum and identify areas for change to ‘ensure the curriculum balances ambition, excellence, relevance, flexibility, and inclusivity for all [&hellip;]</p>

Explore our response to research from school support organisation, The Key Group, on access to work experience amongst 14 and 15-year-olds, as well as our own supporting insight and findings. New research from school support organisation, The Key Group provides a valuable overview of the current landscape of work experience in schools and the major [&hellip;]</p>

<p>A closer look at the ‘Youth Voice Census 2024’  The ‘Youth Voice Census 2024’ has just been released by Youth Employment UK – the largest dataset of youth voices in the UK with over 5,000 contributing young people. As well as offering insight into crucial topics such as youth mental health, the findings highlight young [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Six Key Takeaways from the 2024 Labour Party Conference We were fortunate enough to attend the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool this past week &#8211; their first conference in 15 years out of opposition and as the Government. Our team immediately got to work immersing ourselves in all things education with leaders from across the [&hellip;]</p>

The Sutton Trust’s Life Lessons 2024 report - How are young people developing the skills for success While academic and subject-specific skills and knowledge are vital for young people, it is increasingly clear that broader ‘life skills’ – things like communication, resilience, motivation and confidence – are also needed for success, both in education and

<p>New Partnership Aims to Transform the UK Tech Sector by Boosting Diversity and Social Mobility Speakers for Schools partners with The Hg Foundation to launch ‘IntoTech’ &#8211; The UK based tech programme for under-16-year-olds, creating over 95,000 opportunities for underrepresented young people. To address the UK’s persistent diversity gap in the tech industry, The Hg [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Reflections on the Social Mobility Commission’s ‘State of the Nation’ Annual Report 2024 The Social Mobility Commission’s ‘State of the Nation’ report 2024 reveals limited improvement in social mobility across the UK, and persistent inequalities and challenges in achieving greater progress in this crucial area. Importantly, the Commission has drilled down into how outcomes vary [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Speakers for Schools Response to The King&#8217;s Speech 17 July 2024 ‘My Ministers will seek to raise educational standards and break down barriers to opportunity.’ We welcome these words spoken by the King yesterday in his speech outlining what the new Labour government will be driving through in the coming months. Raising educational standards and ensuring schools [&hellip;]</p>

<p>General Election Spotlight: How&nbsp;does each&nbsp;party envision the future of education? Surveying the political landscape Education has fallen to an all-time low on&nbsp;the list of voters’ top priorities, crowded out by concerns around the cost of living, health, and ‘the economy in general’. However, it is fundamental to all the above and unless it is seen [&hellip;]</p>

<p>How does work experience work in Northern Ireland?&nbsp;&nbsp; With the restoration of devolved government to Northern Ireland in February 2024, what can we expect from the newly appointed Ministers responsible for supporting post-primary work experience?&nbsp; Understanding the sectors&nbsp; The school system is different from elsewhere in the UK, given the segregated nature of education provision, [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Developing young people as a whole&nbsp; Is our obsession with attainment leaving them behind? The importance of socio-emotional skills&nbsp;&nbsp; Here at Speakers for Schools, we strongly believe that work experience and enrichment activities outside the central curriculum, in its wide range of forms, are crucial to developing young peoples’ social and emotional skills and affecting [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Empowering Youth for Future Careers: Insights from Portsmouth Roundtable on Education, Skills, and Social Mobility Last week, we held an inspiring roundtable in Portsmouth to rethink the intersectionality of education, skills, and social mobility. We invited a diverse assembly of businesses, educators, policymakers, and, most importantly, young voices to discuss the barriers young people face [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Revolutionising the Labour Market: Unleashing productivity by putting skills first. In the ever-evolving landscape of industries, accessing and retaining talent has become a critical concern. Recent data from the World Economic Forum (WEF) reveals that a staggering 61% of businesses are worried about the availability of skilled individuals in the next five years. This concern [&hellip;]</p>