Overview
While work experience and experiences of work are closely related, they differ slightly in their purpose and delivery. Work experience allows students to explore a job role, a company or a sector by spending time in a real workplace. Experiences of work describe exposure to work or working practice that does not involve a specific placement within a company. For example, young people could take part in a workplace tour or complete a hands-on activity led by an employer from a specific sector. Many of our programmes involve an experience of the workplace. Local employers and inspirational role models play a key role in designing, delivering and hosting these activities. 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.
Our Offer
Explore our offer and arrange a call to discuss your requirements. As an established Education Business Partnership, we support both mainstream schools and specialist settings. Furthermore, we design inclusive programmes and tailor our approach to meet the unique needs of your school and students.
EoW Offer – EqualexFor 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.
