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Careers Support for Secondary Schools and Colleges

Students interact with an employee volunteer during Perfect Pitch, an enterprise programme

Inspire! bridge the gap between education and work for students at secondary school or further education college. Our secondary programmes include work experience placements, workplace visits, and work-related learning workshops. These are all facilitated by employers and employee volunteers.

Our programmes help schools to provide effective careers education and guidance and meet the Gatsby Good Career Guidance Benchmarks.

We design programmes by consulting with schools and volunteers, and feedback is used to improve our services. In addition to the below, we respond creatively to specific requests.

Work Experience

Work-Related Learning and Enterprise Education

Curriculum Enrichment

Work Experience

Work experience develops crucial employability skills and insight into career options.

We coordinate work experience placements for Key Stage 4 and 5 (Year 10, 11, 12 and 13) in the London Boroughs of Hackney, Camden and Islington. This involves matching students to employers, carrying out workplace risk assessments, and preparing both parties to make the most of the placement.

Additionally, we arrange flexible placements for students studying vocational subjects, and those with SEND. These can take place over one week, or once-a-week over a longer period.

Work-Related Learning and Enterprise Education

Our work-related and enterprise programmes raise awareness of career options and prepare young people to secure employment.

Example programmes include

  • You’re Hired!: A day of activities focused on the skills and qualities needed in the workplace. Students learn how to find a job, prepare a CV and succeed at interviews.
  • Careers Carousel: Students meet a range of volunteers from different professions and find out about their career path.
  • Get Ready for Work Experience: Students prepare for upcoming work experience placements by practicing workplace skills and behaviour.
  • Enterprise Days: With help from business volunteers, students develop, cost and present ideas for a campaign, product or event.
  • Money Matters: A personal finance day covering budgeting, earning and saving. Business professionals support the sessions and use real life scenarios.

Curriculum Enrichment

We run bespoke programmes tailored to different subjects, demonstrating how they can be applied to the working world. Meeting real workers and visiting workplaces helps bring subjects to life.

Example programmes include:

  • Industry Insights: Teachers spend a week at a workplace, learning current thinking and practices in jobs related to their subject. Find out how to get involved in Industry Insights
  • Workplace visits: Classes or groups visit a workplace, taking part in tours, activities, presentations and Q&A sessions with employees.
  • World of Work visitors: Volunteers visit classes or small groups of students to discuss their career path and area of work, followed by a practical activity.

Please contact us to find out how we can support your school or college through working experience and work-related learning.