Inside Hybrid: Young Talents Deep Dive Into Agency Life with Clearbox

Showcasing Success Stories

With the communications industry comes impactful stories – and at PR and social media agency, Clearbox, this extends beyond purposeful campaigns and content to meaningful work experience for young people. 

“We offer work experience opportunities because we are passionate about supporting young people as they plan their life after school. Many of our team members didn’t originally come from a PR background and if we had experienced the industry earlier, we may have discovered our career paths sooner… Work experience allows them to explore potential career paths, understand how businesses operate and build confidence in their decisions about their next steps. It provides valuable real-world exposure that can help shape their future direction.”

Clearbox

The Hybrid Approach

In February 2026, Clearbox followed Futures For All’s hybrid multi-day model to deliver a 3-day work experience for young people with 2-days online and 1-day on-site. This structure supported young people to experience modern-day accessible and flexible working while developing essential industry skills both remotely and in-person. 

As hybrid work experience combines both in-person and remote elements, it offers the benefits of both formats and adds valuable versatility to CVs. The balance between the two is set by the employer, who tailors the schedule to meet organisational needs while benefitting young people. This means that employers can reach a broader pool of young talent while young people gain experiences that prepare them for the workplace and future careers, including opportunities that may have been previously closed to them. 

76% of employers face challenges in recruiting talent.  

73% of UK businesses suffer from skills shortages.

50% of students leave school without any work experience.

*Based on the results of a YouGov survey of 2,098 18-30-year-olds 

Inside the Work Experience 

Through interactive workshops, practical tasks and industry insight sessions with professionals from Clearbox, students discovered what it’s really like to work in media, PR, social media and content creation.

“No two days in PR are the same. We work with a range of fantastic brands across different areas of PR and social media. With social media playing such a major role in young people’s lives, we’re seeing a growing interest in careers within this space and PR offers exciting opportunities to be part of that fast-moving environment… It’s about shaping and sharing positive stories, building strong relationships, supporting community initiatives and working with the media to promote brands in a meaningful way.” 

Clearbox

After a behind-the-scenes look into the different careers and responsibilities in an agency setting, attendees worked collaboratively on an industry project. Each group followed a brief to produce a PR and social media campaign, before presenting their work in an agency-style client pitch. Through this project-based format, students were able to apply their learnings; develop communication, teamwork, creativity and strategic-thinking skills; and receive valuable feedback to support career progression. 

The hybrid work experience ended with an employability session exploring CV writing, interview preparation, LinkedIn use and early career pathways. With the addition of a final careers panel and Q&A, young people left feeling informed about next steps – and empowered about their future. 

Delivering the final day in-person, complete with a workplace tour, meant students could experience a professional office setting, meet the wider Clearbox team and their peers in-person, and gain a greater understanding of company culture.

“We had students who were unsure about pursuing a career in PR. Through hands-on project work and collaboration with our team, they gained confidence and a clearer understanding of the industry. By the end of the placement, they felt much more confident in their decision to explore PR as a future career path… Offering work experience is a meaningful way to share insight, provide guidance and support the next generation… I would highly recommend other businesses take part.”

Clearbox

Young People’s Experience 

Attendees rated their hybrid work experience as 4.8 out of 5 stars, and 80% said they felt more confident about achieving their future career ambitions after completing the placement. 

Work experience demystifies careers and build skills and self-belief – and Clearbox’s advice can help young people make the most of the opportunity. 

“Ask as many questions as possible. Be curious, proactive and open to learning. Work experience is a valuable opportunity to go behind the scenes and see how things really work. The more engaged you are, the more you’ll gain from the experience.”

Clearbox

Learn more about Clearbox here. 

Apply here by 19^th May 2026 for Clearbox's upcoming work experience: 17^th – 19^th June 2026. 

Learn more about media careers. 

Discover Work Experience for Yourself 

Whether you’re keen to apply for work experience or provide some for young people, head to our Work Experience Finder to get started. 

Our Talks Library is also available as a resource of insights into different sectors. 

* Image source: Clearbox