Work experience is evolving. Programmes that are thoughtfully and innovatively designed are seeing higher engagement, stronger completion rates, and greater confidence from young people entering the workforce.
For employers, this creates a valuable opportunity. When work experience genuinely engages and develops participants, it can become a strategic tool for strengthening early talent pipelines, improving candidate readiness, and building stronger connections with future hires.
In our latest Work Experience Lab webinar, we brought together a panel of employers, academics and students to explore the latest innovations in digital work experience and what they mean for employers looking to attract, engage and prepare early talent.
Genuine, meaningful experiences for young people
For employers, it’s not just about getting young people to sign up for work experiences, but to engage with it in a way that feels genuine and meaningful. From a student perspective, Vedant, currently doing his masters at the University of Liverpool, said that work experience programmes that are rooted in reality are the ones that resonate the most with young people.
"Something like that which draws to reality itself[...]it helps a lot in selecting because then you know that the skills that you will develop will actually be used immediately when you go to a work setting."
With so little time, students need to be reassured that the experiences they’re taking part in will actually have merit. According to Dr Mike Drummond, Course Director at Liverpool John Moores University, the worth of completing an experience has to be clear and obvious from the get go.
"Students are more astute about their time pressures now. So they want to know that they are doing something that would add value and really help them progress to a good opportunity."
When asked which format delivers the most value to students, a staggering 77% of our audience said solving real-world projects or challenges. When there’s clear outcomes for what young people will gain, they’re much more likely to apply, engage with and complete work experiences.
Increasing visibility at scale
For the RAF, knowledge of what they offer or do wasn’t as visible as it used to be. Their previous footprint had shrunk, and they needed to find a way to ensure knowledge of their organisation was accessible and meeting people where they were at.
Wing Commander Paul Buxton, Lead for Work Experience at RAF Air Command says, "we were expecting people to pull the information to come and look for it, whereas we needed to be offering that information and giving people an opportunity to access it really easily."
The result of this challenge is an immersive, interactive work experience solution which engages young people across the UK at scale. From navigating scenario-based missions to exploring 3D models, young people are given a real insight into life at the RAF. Built to be authentic, informative and engaging and open to all.
How does immersion factor into work experience?
The majority of our webinar audience said if they could improve one thing about their work experience offerings to boost engagement, it would be to make them more interactive.
We’re in a new generation where traditional, lecture theatre style teaching isn’t quite hitting the mark anymore. Mike says that the why of an outcome is just as important, if not more important than the outcome itself. Because of this, he’s transitioning his courses to be more workshop-based, where students take on practical challenges and reflect on their decision-making.
The same goes for work experience, having something that’s interactive and reflective is resonating much more with young people today. Vedant expanded by saying that the best experiences are the ones that give you access to things you wouldn’t be able to access any other way.
"To get into a fighter jet and go there and have a gander around in it, that's something that's aspirational and it's going to take years of work to actually do it. If I can just log into a portal and experience at least something that's close to it, that's exciting."
The use of AI in today’s digital landscape
Our webinar panel ended the conversation by turning to AI and how it’s drastically changing how young people prepare and apply for careers.
Mike went on to say that while most people think AI is a new thing, that’s not the case. What’s new is how accessible it now is. For him, it’s about embracing it rather than combatting it and understanding what employers expect out of graduates with regards to AI,
For employers, this means having genuine discussions about AI skills they want to see from candidates. This allows universities to incorporate it into their curriculum and get their students career ready.
They also discussed AI tools as an extension to helping students prepare for employment, such as Springpod’s AI Interview Coach. Mike stated that interview prep can be incredibly nerve wracking, so having a safe space to practise those skills could be beneficial.
As Vedant said from a student perspective, “just go ahead, use the tools and resources at your disposal and show that you can use them. We have programs that enable us to do that.”
How are new approaches transforming work experience?
Work experience has to feel real
Young people are most engaged when their experiences are rooted in reality. They want experiences that feel genuine and where the outcomes and value added for them are clear.
Accessibility is everything
Giving all young people access to work experience, no matter their location or background should be the norm.
Young people are interested in immersive experiences
Students and employers alike are now more focused on interactive experiences. Practical challenges that reflect real-world scenarios are far more likely to engage.
AI as a tool to complement career-readiness
Our panel were clear on employers, students and higher education all working to embrace AI rather than combat it. With everyone on the same page about expectations, students are set up to succeed.
If you’re interested in getting more insight into how new approaches are transforming work experience, watch our webinar on demand here.
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