Work Experience
Work experience (WEX) can be defined as a placement with an employer in which a young person carries out a range of tasks in much the same way as an employee, with the emphasis on learning from the experience. This could be a one-day placement, a block placement over several days or a placement that extends over several weeks or one day a week for a term (Norfolk & Suffolk Careers Hub).
Work experience is modernising, however, in order to raise the quality of this experience by ensuring it develops the knowledge, skills and behaviours young people will need in the workplace and, crucially, to ensure equity for disadvantaged young people across England.
Experiences of workplaces is one of the eight Gatsby Benchmarks and has been a key area for career development across schools (and colleges) since the benchmarks were introduced in 2018. The original Gatsby Benchmark 6 states:
"Every student 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:
- by the age of 16, every student should have had at least one experience of a workplace, in addition to any
part-time jobs they may have, and - by the age of 18, every student should have had one further such experience, in addition to any part-time jobs they may have".
Modern Work Experience
In November 2024, the UK government published its white paper Get Britain Working, which included its vision for a Youth Guarantee – a range of entitlements and provisions for young people to boost their career paths and long-term employability.
On 8th May 2025, the Government issued new statutory guidance to schools that included enhancements to Gatsby Benchmark 6. The latter outlined the government's ambition of a work experience guarantee for ALL learners that moved away from the traditional 2-week block placement into 10 days’ (50 hours) worth of WEX throughout secondary education:
- one week's worth (25 hours) of work experience activities in Years 7 to 9
- one week’s worth (25 hours) of work experience placement(s) in Years 10 to 11
The enhanced Benchmark 6 specifies the need for students to have meaningful and varied encounters and experiences. Gatsby defines a meaningful experience as: one in which the learner has an opportunity to explore what it is like to work in that environment, the skills valued in the workplace, recruitment processes or what it takes to be successful.
The benefits of WEX
WEX can help students understand what they enjoy, what they are good at, and what environments suit them.
It can build confidence, networks and curiosity about potential pathways and roles that may not have been previously considered. The insight gained, and the transferable skills developed add value to a young person's CV and future job applications.
Meeting the Youth Guarantee at St. Benedict's
In response to the Youth Guarantee, we are developing a clearly structured and robust WEX programme for all students in Years 7–11. The intention is to offer students 'a series of flexible opportunities that build their confidence, skills and motivation' for career management now and in the future.
Work experience activities for students in Years 7 to 9 will run throughout the year and will take place largely in school. They will involve learning about careers, skills and the labour market, alongside online workshops with employers and virtual WEX.
Work experience placements will be aimed at students in Year 10 and are planned for end June/ beginning of July (before they enter Year 11). WEX placements are intended to be in-person and off-site. Parents and carers of each new Year 10 cohort will receive timely, bespoke guidance on this element of our Careers programme to prepare and support their child(ren) in finding and securing in-person WEX placement(s).
Note: additional support will be available to students with SEND or students for whom alternative arrangements are needed to ensure they can access a meaningful WEX placement.
Our programme will involve alumni, employers (including parents and carers linked to the school) and local, regional and national training providers. A database of employers who are able to offer in-person WEX to our students has been created – a resource we intend to grow and evolve in the years to come.
Our goal is to build enduring partnerships for WEX that help us meet the Youth Guarantee and support our students in their ongoing development of career management skills and exploitation of employment opportunities.
Useful Links on WEX
Here are links to further information and guidance on modern WEX: