Get Ahead

Please note - Funding for this programme has now ended and we are no longer accepting registrations.

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About Get Ahead

The Get Ahead Work Experience Programme supported students in South London, West London and East London through a free work experience placement with a local employer.

To tackle the rising number of youth unemployment and skills shortages in London, the Get Ahead Work Experience Programme offered a guided vocational experience scheme for young learners aged over 16 in partnership with the Greater London Authority.

This project was funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The Fund aimed to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. Find out more about Shared Prosperity Fund.

Key programme benefits

Enabled students at risk of becoming NEET to complete work experience placements
Engaged local employers and connected them with education providers
Provided 1 to 1 support to reduce student barriers

About our beneficiaries

We supported students who met the following criteria:

Are aged between 16-19 or 16-25 with SEND requirements and an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
Are considered by their education institution (or another appropriate authority) as being at risk of becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training) after leaving education and/or not completing their post-16 education course.
Are studying within one of London’s state-funded education institutions and situated within East, South or West London sub-regions.

Our support was available for schools in these London boroughs

Barking & Dagenham
Bexley
Bromley
Enfield
Greenwich
Havering
Newham
Redbridge
Waltham Forest
Croydon
Kingston upon Thames
Merton
Richmond upon Thames
Sutton
Barnet
Brent
Ealing
Hammersmith & Fulham
Harrow
Hillingdon
Hounslow

How we helped

We sourced sustainable work experience placements for young learners. By registering for the programme, they access dedicated one-to-one support with a Work-Related Learning Adviser (WRLA) and extensive engagement with a local employer over a period of two to five days.

The 2023 London Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) acknowledged the existence of local skills shortages which hinder the growth of many businesses. Connecting the next generation to local employers provided opportunities for sustainable employment as well as an active contribution to a thriving economy.

London’s job market is complex and highly skilled, making it particularly daunting for young people who lack appropriate skills and experience of the world of work. A survey by Education and Employers found that young people who recalled having four or more instances of contact with an employer at school were 86 per cent less likely to be NEET than those who had had no such involvement and would earn on average up to 22 per cent more over their lifetime.

We therefore encouraged non-traditional placements to broaden students’ horizons and increase their career aspirations. We offered students a learning experience that had real-world applicability and would help them take their next step towards pursuing their dream career.

Our support for students identified by their schools included:

Pre-placement group activities.
Access and assessment through Skills Builder Benchmark.
1-2-1 personal support covering travel planning, contacting the employer and advice on maximising the outputs of their placement.
Work experience placement of two to five days.
Post-placement reflective learning.

Working with education providers

Get Ahead aimed to reduce youth unemployment in London through working with education providers, employers and students to support the delivery of vocational placements.

Our services were free to schools and training providers who wished to register their learners.

Partnering schools and training providers with access to learners aged 16+ benefitted from a breadth of support and guidance available, including:

Tailored work experience

Our Work-Related Learning Advisers supported students to find work experience tailored to their interests, aspirations, and needs.

Collaborative planning and training

Initial planning discussions with Careers Leaders to ensure the programme complemented existing interventions.

Teachers and Careers Leaders could access to CPD and we signposted further support to effectively source future work experience placements.

High-quality resources and guidance

We provided Information packs outlining the programme’s real-world applicability and complementarity to students' academic responsibilities. These resources allowed the schools, students and guardians to learn more about the programme, plan their next steps and reflect on the activities undertaken.

Compliance with regulatory frameworks

We regularly mapped our provision against Ofsted's Common Inspection Framework (CIF) as well as Work Experience expectations. We also supported schools and training providers in line with the Gatsby benchmarks.

Signposting post-education pathways

We worked with students to increase their awareness of their post-education career options, whatever their personal circumstances.

This included signposting them to the National Careers Service, the National Citizen Service, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), and the government's apprenticeship services.

Working with local employers

Our team partnered with local employers to support students through their work experience programme and address current skills shortages within their sector. We offered tailored support to partnering enterprises from our expert Work-Related Learning Advisers, including:

Advice on Health & Safety as well as insurance requirements.
Advice and guidance on delivering an effective work placement.
Engaging workshops to address common challenges such as: creating work experience job descriptions, supporting SEND students, and showcasing your sector externally.
Access and introduction to the Skills Builder Benchmark.