Experiences of Work Overview
Work experience/Experiences of work are closely related but differ slightly. Work experience is normally a period of time spent in a job to help students learn about a job role, a company or a sector. Experiences of work describe exposure to work or working practice that does not involve a specific placement within a company. For example, this could be a tour of a workplace/s or a hands-on activity with an employer from a particular sector. Many of our programmes involve an experience of the workplace. Local employers and inspirational role models are often involved in the design, delivery and hosting of these. By doing this, they help learners gain a clearer understanding of the skills, qualifications, and pathways required to secure employment in the future and have the skills that employers look for.
With the expectation from September 2025 for schools to be adopting the strengthened Gatsby Benchmark 6 as set out in careers guidance and access for education that states ‘Every learner should have first-hand experiences of work to help their exploration of career opportunities and expand their networks’, DEBP can support you to meet this 10 day requirement as laid out by the Careers Enterprise Company (CEC) framework: Equalex for Educators.
Explore our offer and arrange a call to discuss your requirements. As an established Education Business Partnership, we are here to support you, whether you are a mainstream school or specialist setting, our offers are inclusive, and we are happy to personalise our approach to meet your needs.
For more information, please email paula,symonds@debp.org or click here to complete a short expression of interest form.
Outcomes
- Experiential and immersive learning related to a cross-sector of industries.
- Helps young people make informed choices and improve career readiness and employability.
- Increases awareness of jobs and pathways to support career planning.
- Links school learning to the skills and knowledge employers are looking for.
Gatsby Benchmarks
All our programmes are mapped against the Gatsby Benchmarks. The benchmarks were updated in May 2025 and include updates to each summary and set of measurable criteria. View the Careers guidance and access for education and training providers.
