New Practical Guides for Delivering High-Quality, High-Impact Work Experience for All

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 Experience Quality Guide?

The Work Experience Quality Guide is our organisation’s quality assurance framework for work experience. It sets out the principles and standards that define high-quality practice and impact across all our programmes and partnerships.

Grounded in the findings of our High-Quality Work Experience research report, published in June 2025, the guide provides a clear blueprint for what excellent, high-impact work experience looks like in practice.

The guide reflects our research model, focusing on three key areas: Envision, Impact and Reflect. Within each area, it identifies the core indicators that define quality delivery and lasting outcomes.

It serves two essential functions:

• It enables us to benchmark and continually enhance our own programmes against standards of excellence.

• It supports employers and partners to design, deliver and review their own work experience provision, ensuring it is purposeful, engaging and impactful.

What Sets This Apart?

As the UK’s leading provider of work experience, Futures for All brings unmatched expertise and insight to this work. We know what good looks like, and we have the evidence to prove it.

The Work Experience Quality Guide is not based on theory alone. It is built on extensive research and tested practice, captured in our High-Quality Work Experience report.

This is more than a checklist. It is a practical and dynamic tool that reflects our understanding of what truly works in delivering live, interactive and transformative experiences that build skills, confidence and aspiration. Through this guide, we are setting a new benchmark for quality and consistency across the work experience landscape.

Need More Practical Guidance?

To complement the guide, we are also proud to introduce WEX in a Box, a comprehensive, step-by-step resource designed for employers who want to take action.

Following the same structure as the Work Experience Quality Guide, WEX in a Box provides detailed and easy-to-follow guidance on how to design, deliver and evaluate a high-quality placement. From establishing purpose, to refining delivery methods and undertaking evaluation, it offers everything needed to create meaningful experiences that meet the needs of both young people and employers.

Raising the Standard, Together

Together, the Work Experience Quality Guide and WEX in a Box represent the next step in our mission to raise the standard of work experience nationwide.

By sharing our evidence, expertise and practical tools, we aim to empower employers to deliver opportunities that are not only high quality, but truly transformative.

To access our Work Experience Quality Guide, click here.

To access WEX in a Box, click here.

For our latest research and policy reports, click here.