29/07/2025
By Liz Sewell FIEP, Director, Belina Grow
It’s hard to get a job if you don’t have experience — and it’s hard to get experience if you don’t have a job. That’s a cycle too many people are stuck in.
Last week, I joined a fantastic event hosted by the Deputy Mayor of London, @HowardDawber, focused on the value of work experience and how we can make it more inclusive and accessible. It’s clear that we need more of it — and not just for young people. Work experience should be available to people at all stages of life and work.
There is welcome ambition from government for all school students to complete two weeks of work experience before they leave school. To support this, the Careers & Enterprise Company is developing a national model through local hubs in England, working with employers and schools to make this happen.
They’re using a three-pronged approach that gives flexibility for employers of all sizes to get involved:
- Introduce & Inspire – These are high-volume, low-depth experiences, such as two-hour workplace visits or one-day tasters. Ideal for large groups, this opens the door for early exposure to different industries.
- Investigate & Explore – A more in-depth opportunity, often delivered in smaller groups, where students can begin to understand specific roles and sectors more deeply.
- Apply & Demonstrate – This is the most immersive format, where individual students are placed into real work environments to apply their skills over a sustained period, offering meaningful, hands-on experience.
This structured, flexible model means that employers can choose the level of engagement that suits them best — and ensures that no young person leaves school without having had some interaction with the world of work.
At Belina Grow, we also believe it’s important to think more broadly. Many of the women we work with have never had the chance to experience a real work environment. For them, work experience can be a game-changer, helping to build confidence, develop skills, and reconnect with ambitions.
So yes, we need more work experience, and not just for school leavers. Let’s create pathways for returners, career changers, and those who’ve been out of the labour market for a while. That’s how we build a truly inclusive talent strategy.