Launched in June 2026, this research investigates how work experience and employer engagement are evolving, highlighting disparities in access and the barriers schools and employers encounter when creating meaningful opportunities for young people.
Based on new evidence and insights, the report sets out how schools and employers can work together to make high-quality work experience more accessible and inclusive. Launched at a time when policy-makers were considering how to tackle rising numbers of NEET young people, our research continues to provide evidence to inform policy and practice.
Key findings
- Work experience works and the evidence is stronger than ever: it prevents poor outcomes in adulthood.
- The Government’s Work Experience Guarantee is undeliverable without proper support.
- The current system advantages the advantaged and mandating it without infrastructure will make this worse.
- The geography of inequality of where professionals work shapes what young people can imagine.
- The Government’s careers information service is not fit for purpose for young people.