Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the effective delivery of two weeks’ worth of work experience for every young person, in the context of business operational constraints.

Employers that offer high quality work experience opportunities see direct business benefits, from a more diverse future pipeline of talent, which helps to address local and national economic needs.

The department is piloting a new model of work experience to reduce barriers to participation for young people, schools and employers. This includes small and medium-sized employers, for whom traditional block work experience placements in the summer term can be challenging, and provides the flexibility and scope to tailor their work experience offer while still realising business benefits.

Based on a more flexible and progressive approach, young people will have access to two weeks’ worth of meaningful and varied workplace experiences throughout key stages 3 and 4, allowing access to different industries and occupations, including in priority growth sectors.

The Careers and Enterprise Company has developed a suite of tools and resources to help employers understand and prepare for September 2025 when schools will begin to prepare and introduce the multiple, meaningful and varied workplace experiences. The department will set out more detail in due course.