A new government-backed campaign is calling on small businesses across the country to open their doors to young people and help deliver 200,000 additional work experience opportunities for 14 to 16-year olds.
Spearheaded by Small Business Britain and supported by a number of other UK organisations including the Careers & Enterprise Company, Enterprise Nation and the British Chambers of Commerce, Open Your Door will support firms to offer work experience, giving young people vital exposure to the workplace while helping businesses invest in their future workforce and give back to their local communities. The campaign forms part of the wider National Mission on Work Experience.
The campaign’s aim is for 50,000 of the 200,000 work experience places to be pledged by small businesses.
The National Mission on Work Experience, announced in September, will boost hands-on learning and career readiness for teens and aims to create an additional 200,000 work experience placements for young people.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said:
“Too many young people have been written off before they’ve even had the chance to get started. We’re determined to change that.
“Sometimes all it takes is for someone to open a door. A few days in a workplace can give a young person the experience, confidence and sense of possibility they need to take that first step into the world of work.
“Small businesses are at the heart of communities and high streets across the country, so I want as many as possible to get behind Open Your Door. You don’t need a big HR department to play your part and support is out there to help you. Giving young people a chance will make a real difference and help us bring back hope.”
Pupils in years 10 and 11 can use their work experience days flexibly, visiting different companies and taking shorter placements than a traditional two-week spot, giving small businesses an important chance to get involved.
The campaign comes as the government steps up efforts to help more young people into education, training and work, ahead of Alan Milburn’s review into young people and work.
Through the Open Your Door initiative the UK’s small businesses will be supported to take part in the scheme and able to access toolkits, practical expert advice and help with finding suitable work experience candidates. Firms do not need a large HR team or an established work experience programme to take part. Opening the door to just one young person for a few days can make a real difference.
Michelle Ovens CBE, CEO and founder of Small Business Britain, said:
“Small businesses like the ones we support are the backbone of a local community and it’s often in these small businesses that young people enter the workforce for the first time. Traditional work experience schemes have often focused on larger scale organisations with the headcount and teams to handle the necessary complexities, but you shouldn’t have to have a whole HR team to take on a motivated and enthusiastic young person for a few days.
“We are delighted to back small businesses and we know that employing one young person for a few days is something of huge value, both to that pupil and the wider community. Work experience in small companies helps young people to assess their interests and give back locally, and we want small businesses to feel empowered and supported to take on a placement. We look forward to hearing the success stories to come.”
Through the use of flexible placements, young people on work experience can visit several small local businesses across five days, for example a café and an accountant, followed by a retailer and a digital marketing agency. This gives young people a broader taste of the world of work, while also reducing the time commitment on any one company.
Speaking about work experience and the benefits it can bring to both young people and the companies they visit, Marie Cavanagh of Fired Works Glass Gallery and Studio said:
“I offer work experience every year to the local senior school. I find it really beneficial to both myself and the students – young people come with a wealth of ideas and creativity and I often use them to come up with new designs for my glass decorations. I also like to get them to make the designs so they can be part of a project end to end.”
Sinead Ryan of family-run embroidery and print company SpeedStitch said:
“Having students with a genuine curiosity about elements of our business (whether that’s the production side, retail elements or an interest in how the business is run) has led to positive experiences. We have subsequently hired some of these as seasonal staff in the past then too. We have always tried to offer a varied and hands-on placement so they can get a real experience of everyday life in a small, family business, so those with an interest really get stuck in and learn from it which we enjoy seeing.”
Danielle McKinnon of equine sanctuary Eat Sleep Ride said:
“Work experience went really well for us. What makes it work is the setting and the approach. Young people are outdoors, working with horses, chickens and the garden, in sensory spaces that are accessible to everyone. Just as important, they’re listened to. We give them real responsibility and the chance to lead, and we actively look for opportunities that fit each person’s interests. That combination builds confidence quickly, and it’s why so many stay on, progress to awards and, in many cases, go on to do paid work with us.”
To find out more about Open Your Door click here.