At this year’s Conservative Party Conference, the Education Policy Institute (EPI) has partnered with Speakers for Schools to hold an open fringe panel discussion on ‘Embedding work experience in the curriculum: a driver for skills and growth’.
Work experience has been shown to have a broad range of benefits to young people aged 14-16 including increasing confidence, learning skills needed for the workplace, motivation towards school and career awareness. For employers, it can also be a useful way of building a diverse pipeline of future talent.
More widely, work experience has the potential to improve social mobility. The perennial pattern of advantaged students being able to draw on parental networks to attain meaningful work experience continues, while resources are often highly stretched in state schools meaning that those without these connections can struggle to obtain useful placements. To achieve the wider goals of economic growth, closing the skills gap and promoting innovation, it is critical to consider how work experience can be successfully embedded in the English curriculum to expand horizons, provide insight into careers and encourage skills development.
This panel will bring together school leaders, social mobility experts and education stakeholders to discuss the role of work experience in progressing social mobility. The discussion will cover why work experience is beneficial for both young people and employers; how we can support schools to make space for it within the school calendar; what can be learned from international comparisons, and finally, how to ensure equitable access to meaningful experience.
We are delighted to be joined by Nick Brook, Speakers for Schools; Oli de Botton, Careers & Enterprise Company; John Cope, UCAS; Leora Cruddas, Confederation of School Trusts and Carl Cullinane, Sutton Trust. Natalie Perera, EPI’s Chief Executive, will chair the session.
** Note: This event will take place in the conference secure zone. To access the secure zone you will need to obtain a pass directly from the Conservative Party.**
