Our response to The Key Group’s report on young people’s access to work experience

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 gaps in uptake that need urgent addressing. It reveals that just 49% of 14 to 15-year-olds had completed some work experience in the previous academic year, the average time of a placement was under five days, and there are major disparities in access regionally and for both pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and those who are eligible for Free School Meals (FSM).    As the UK’s largest provider of work experience and champions of its power to level the playing field for all young people, this is worrying but unsurprising news. Our own research, Work Experience For All, previously revealed that just a third of teenagers aged 16-18 had taken work experience, and only half of 14–16-year-olds had.    It’s encouraging that The Government has committed to introducing guaranteed work experience for all young people. However, as highlighted in new first-of-its-kind research on Assumed Knowledge: A Hidden Barrier to Social Mobility, any roll out must prioritise building on best practice to deliver high quality, high impact experiences that are equitably distributed throughout the UK and particularly supports more disadvantaged pupils. Only then can the introduction of this crucial policy avoid reinforcing the very inequalities highlighted by The Key Group’s research. 

Our CEO, Nick Brook, emphasised our mission here and the inequalities that currently exist in this area: 

“Speakers for Schools’ ambition is that every young person has access to high-quality work experience by 2028, yet, right now, this data, alongside our own evidence, suggests more than half of young people leave school having had no work experience whatsoever.

“We know that young people who do have work experience are typically from more affluent families as they often rely on parental networks to arrange it. We cannot have a system that relies on who your mum and dad know, or where they might work, to determine whether you have access to workplaces and potential future employers.” 

High quality experiences of the world of work help level the playing field by demystifying careers and building awareness, confidence and networks. Whilst all young people benefit from it, those from the least affluent backgrounds gain the most; partly because it fills the gaps in knowledge that others get through their family networks. Put simply, the more work experience we do, the fairer it gets.    Our research on how to make high-quality work experience for all a reality lays out the practical steps and costings to make The Labour Party’s pledge to “guarantee 2 weeks’ worth of work experience for every young person” a reality. We have also explored its impact on young people’s outcomes, the value of virtual work experience and international practices, making us a go-to voice on the topic.    The ‘assumed knowledge’ research outlines our additional practical recommendations for addressing inequalities in young people’s access to knowledge of the education system and careers, including greater careers advice and guidance in schools, investment in proven mentoring programmes, and more inspirational talks.    Head to our research hub to explore the above and read the full findings from The Key Group here. 

About The Key Group  

The Key Group are united by a common goal to see all schools thriving. Their best-in-class products provide schools and trusts with the tools and support to flourish, transforming the way over 20,000 state schools operate every day.