Prospects Early Careers Survey 2022 explores the value of work experience and whether hybrid and online opportunities are as valuable as face-to-face activities
Students at school, sixth form/college and university were asked about the types of work experience they had done in the last 12 months.
Despite the COVID restrictions that were still in place in 2021, 79% of respondents managed to complete some form of work experience. Part-time jobs and volunteering positions were the most common types of work experience. Those who ticked the 'other' answer option often mentioned virtual/online work experience and temporary/summer jobs.
University finalists were most likely to have done work experience in the last 12 months (78%) compared with those graduating in 2023 (74%) and 2024 (69%).
Respondents whose parents went to university were more likely to have done work experience (69%) than those whose parents hadn't gone to university (56%). Further research would be valuable to ensure that students from disadvantaged backgrounds aren't missing out on opportunities.
Hybrid work experience
Despite the easing of restrictions and a return to face-to-face working, there's been a clear growth of hybrid work placements. Nearly a fifth of students said their work experience was a mixture of online and in-person activities.
Interestingly, respondents found hybrid placements/internships the most useful for developing skills, confirming career choices and improving career prospects. This was followed by face-to-face experiences. Online internships/placements received the lowest scores suggesting some element of face-to-face interaction is beneficial.
Unpaid internships
Two thirds of those who did an internship or work placement were unpaid. Employers in the UK legally have to pay their interns the national minimum wage, with just a few exceptions.
A greater proportion of students who did a paid internship/placement said their experience was 'very useful' at developing their skills (48%) compared to those who did unpaid work (36%). Individuals who did paid work were also more likely to say their experience improved their career prospects (42%) than those who did unpaid work (30%).
Asked how long their most recent internship or placement lasted, 49% said between one and six months, 40% said less than one month and 11% said more than six months. The duration of work experience appears to have an impact on how much value students get out of their experience.
Internships/placements that lasted one to six months and more than six months were more useful for respondents than those that lasted less than a month, in terms of developing skills and helping to confirm their career choices.
Meanwhile, in the last 12 months 29% of students hadn't done any form of work experience. School students were most likely to have not done any work experience in the last 12 months (51%) but this could be an age-related issue as a number of respondents mentioned they were 'too young' to apply for jobs.
Barriers to work experience
Lack of opportunities was the main issue for students trying to find work experience at all levels of education. Timing was also a concern, with 21% of college/sixth form students and 26% of university students mentioning they didn't have time to fit it in. A significant number of 'other' responses mentioned that COVID impacted their ability to find placements in 2021.
Many employers stopped offering work experience over the past two years, making opportunities extremely competitive. Employers need to consider the experiences of students and graduates during the pandemic and adjust their requirements when hiring to reflect this difficult time. Employers should focus on skills candidates gained during lockdown that will be essential in a hybrid workplace, such as digital skills, resilience and flexibility, rather than asking questions based on traditional work or extra-curricular activities.
This is an excerpt from Prospects Early Careers Survey 2022
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