Why You Should Consider Offering Work Experience to Young People
- Robinson Grace HR
- Aug 1
- 6 min read
Creating work experience opportunities for young people is a win-win situation for both your organisation and the individual. It’s a meaningful business decision that supports growth, culture, and reputation.
Work experience provides young people with the opportunity to gain first-hand insight into an organisation, a specific role, and the world of work. It allows them to develop essential skills such as communication, teamwork, time management, and problem-solving. These skills are crucial in helping them to gain valuable workplace insight, kick-start their careers, and ultimately become more employable.
Why Work Experience Matters for Employers
Hosting a young person on work experience isn’t just an act of goodwill, it’s a strategic opportunity that benefits your business, your people, and your community. Here are some tangible advantages:
Recruitment Opportunities and Talent Pipelines - Work experience placements give you access to emerging talent. You’ll see first-hand what skills and attitudes young people bring to the table, helping you to spot potential and feed into your longer-term workforce and succession planning.
Fresh Ideas and New Perspectives - Young people can bring a burst of creativity, fresh thinking, and insight into the habits and preferences of the next generation of customers, making you look innovative.
Staff Development and Engagement - Involving your team in mentoring or supervising young people can uncover hidden strengths and help develop soft skills like leadership, communication, and patience. It can also add purpose and variety to a team member’s role, which supports professional growth and job satisfaction.
Stronger Company Culture - It can strengthen morale and help build a culture of learning, inclusivity, and community involvement.
Community and Brand Impact - By offering placements, you demonstrate a commitment to your local area and its future workforce. This can boost your brand reputation and attract new customers or clients.
Why Work Experience Matters for Young People
A First Taste of the Workplace - Gives real insight into how organisations operate, what different jobs involve, and the range of careers available across industries they may not have considered.
Development of Transferable Skills - Whether it’s communication, teamwork, problem-solving, or time management, work experience helps build the kinds of skills that apply across every role and sector.
Greater Self-Awareness and Career Clarity - It’s an opportunity for young people to understand their strengths and test out work environments and roles without long-term commitment.
Confidence and Motivation Boost - Being trusted to contribute to a workplace can help build self-esteem and motivation. It helps them feel more prepared for the world of work.
Understanding of Workplace Norms - They learn about punctuality, appropriate dress, maintaining a positive attitude, and high standards of work. They experience what employers value: reliability, curiosity, enthusiasm, and professionalism.
Employability Insight - Provides a clearer view of what employers look for when recruiting; through mock interviews or observing how teams work and how decisions are made.
Stronger CVs - Experience gained during placements is a valuable addition to their CV and future job applications. It shows initiative, commitment, and a willingness to learn.
Key Considerations Before Hosting a Young Person for Work Experience
Liability Insurance - Ensure the young person is covered by your existing employers' liability insurance policy. Check with your insurer to confirm coverage includes work experience placements.
Risk Assessment - You are responsible for managing workplace risks for young people who may be unfamiliar with the environment. A Written Risk Assessment is not required for businesses with fewer than five employees, but you need to consider the young person’s physical ability, experience, or risk awareness. Don’t assume they are familiar with standard practices - clear instructions and demonstrations are essential. Explain simply the relevant risks and how they are controlled.
Pay and Length of Placement - Young people of compulsory school age School leaving age - GOV.UK on short-term work experience placements are not required to be paid, however for placements where chargeable work is carried out solely by the young person without supervision, you will need to consider if they are entitled to minimum wage as a Worker. For example, an intern is classed as a worker and is due the National Minimum Wage if they’re promised a contract of future work.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Checks - DBS checks are not required for staff supervising 16–17-year-olds unless the role involves regular, unsupervised contact with under-16s. Anyone aged 16 and above will require a DBS check if they are involved in regulated activity with anyone under 18. DBS checks are not applicable for anyone under the age of 16.
Attracting the Best Young People from Diverse Backgrounds
Partner with local schools/colleges to promote opportunities.
Proactively share opportunities with youth organisations.
Use multimedia to raise awareness of opportunities by creating short videos or holding webinars that introduce your organisation, explain what a placement involves and highlight potential career paths that schools and colleges can share with students.
Create an engaging and accessible early careers section on your website that includes details about work experience placements, work-shadowing opportunities, and apprenticeships.
Use social media to promote opportunities, encouraging young people to engage, ask questions and learn more about your organisation.
Be flexible with selection criteria, considering more than just academic achievements or previous experience by considering potential and valuable skills they may already have such as communication, creativity, or resilience.
Introducing a Young Person to the Workplace
As with any new starter to your organisation, a well-planned induction helps anyone to feel welcome, so providing a young person on work experience with a warm welcome and introduction will set the tone for the placement and help to enhance their first experience of a work environment.
Ensure they receive a tour of the workplace, covering essentials such as facilities, first aid, fire exits and any other key health and safety issues. Make sure you provide information they might need to take breaks (minimum required break times vary depending on age), including where this might fit into their schedule and where they can access refreshments.
Provide a clear overview of their role, alongside a daily plan / schedule and help them to understand what it is that is expected of them and what they need to do.
Appoint an approachable and supportive mentor or buddy who can provide informal support and will set aside time to guide and support the young person and provide a broader learning experience.
After the Placement Ends
End the experience on a strong note by taking time with the young person to reflect on their experience with your organisation and mutually sharing constructive feedback for the future. Reflect on what went well for the organisation and the young person, what could be improved in the future, and how the experience may influence their next steps.
You can offer to help with any logbooks or reflections, act as a reference, remain in touch to provide future guidance, or you could even offer to hold a short, friendly mock interview to help build confidence and interview skills.
Work experience is more than a short-term placement—it’s a long-term investment in people and the future of work.
Do you want help in ensuring you’re ready to offer work experience placements? Simply pick up the phone to discuss what you might need 01793 311937 or email us via clientservices@robinsongracehr.com.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. How can offering work experience benefit my business?
Creating work experience opportunities for young people is not only a social good—it’s a strategic business decision. Hosting students or early-career individuals can strengthen your recruitment pipeline, bring fresh perspectives into your workplace, and support the development of leadership and mentoring skills within your existing team. It also reinforces your employer brand and showcases your commitment to corporate social responsibility, which can enhance your reputation in the community and among future talent.
2. What legal and practical steps should employers take when offering work experience placements?
Before offering work experience, employers should ensure they have the right liability insurance coverage in place and conduct a risk assessment tailored to young people’s needs and inexperience. While DBS checks are usually not required for staff supervising young people aged 16 and over, they may be needed in specific circumstances involving vulnerable groups. Employers should also consider the duration of placement, whether the student is of compulsory school age, and if the arrangement might trigger minimum wage obligations for longer-term involvement.
3. How can businesses attract diverse young talent for work experience opportunities?
To attract a diverse pool of young talent, employers should proactively engage with local schools and youth organisations, promote opportunities on social media, and create an accessible early careers page on their website. Highlighting personal development, potential career pathways, and being flexible in selection criteria (such as valuing soft skills and potential over academic results alone) can ensure a more inclusive approach. Visual tools like introductory videos and online Q&As also help demystify the workplace and encourage participation.
Check out other Blogs in our series
The content of our blogs is intended for general information and not to replace legal or other professional advice.
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