This month the UK is celebrating National Work Experience Week (24 to 28 April). Work experience provides tangible benefits for both young people and employers, however, not enough young people have access to high quality work experience opportunities and we need to change this. The school-to-work transition can be a challenging time for young people, especially if they haven't had any experience of the workplace or the chance to explore career opportunities available to them. Equally, it can present challenges for businesses who employ young people with very limited experience of the working world. Work experience is an important part of bridging this gap. It not only gives young people a taste of the world of work, but it also helps them to develop essential skills, motivation and confidence. Despite the many benefits of work experience, there are simply not enough young people doing it. The 'Work Experience For All' report by Speakers for Schools explores the impacts of work experience on young people's outcomes, and it found that only a third of teenagers aged 16 to 18 had work experience, and only half of 14 to 16 year olds did. According to Wellcome's 2016 and 2019 Science Education Trackers, 27 per cent of year 10 to 13 students wanted to do a STEM-related work experience but were unable to.
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