Work Experience: Pupils

(asked on 14th July 2023) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of providing work experience for all secondary school pupils.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 20th July 2023

Every pupil should have first hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities and expand their networks. Experiences of the workplace should be tailored to the individual needs of the pupils involved and can demonstrate the capabilities of these pupils while providing them with first hand knowledge of the working environment.

Research evidence analysed for The Careers & Enterprise Company suggests that work experience, supported internships or employment, employee preparation programmes, self determination training and family involvement are effective in enabling pupils and young adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to make a successful move from school to further or higher education, training, employment, or self-employment.

Research has also shown that disadvantaged pupils, who have fewer connections and social networks, disproportionately benefit from high quality interactions with employers. The Department knows that pupils who have had four or more encounters with employers, are 86% less likely to become not in education, employment or training (NEET), and they are likely to go on to earn 18% more.

The Careers & Enterprise Company works with employers to open experiences of the workplace with the benefit of improving the career outcomes for pupils. Employers who take an active role in the careers process of pupils, can realise a whole host of benefits, from identifying a diverse range of skills and abilities they need within their own business, to improving their employee engagement and development.

Secondary schools and colleges are expected to adopt the Government’s careers framework, the Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance, to develop and improve their careers programmes. The benchmarks describe eight aspects of high quality careers guidance based on international evidence. The proportion of schools and colleges fully achieving Gatsby Benchmark 6, experiences of the workplace, has increased from 37% in 2017/18 to 52% in 2021/22. Recent analysis also shows that 93% of students in reporting schools and colleges had at least one employer encounter last academic year, up from 82% in 2018/19. This shows that pupils are gaining more opportunities for work and the skills they need to succeed.

The Department’s grant funding arrangement with The Careers & Enterprise Company represents good value for money to the public purse, at around £30 million this year. This funding is provided to support schools and colleges in delivering high quality careers programmes, in line with the Gatsby Benchmarks and including support for schools and colleges to facilitate experiences for the workplace for pupils.

The current delivery model, working towards the eight Gatsby Benchmarks with support from The Careers & Enterprise Company, encourages schools and colleges to take a strategic approach to employer engagement, ensuring careers provision is embedded and sustainable in the long term.

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