Navigating the Future: How the 50-Hour Work Experience Policy Can Transform Careers

By Katie Bruce

For many years, work experience has been treated as a brief, symbolic rite of passage, a week in a student’s life that offers a glimpse into the adult world of employment but rarely leaves a lasting impression. The UK government’s ambition to deliver ‘two weeks’ worth of work experience (totally 10 days or 50 hours) invites us to challenge that tradition and reimagine what it truly means to prepare young people for the future. This is not about placing students in offices or warehouses for a few days. It is about creating a meaningful, structured journey throughout their time in school and college that helps them understand where they belong in the world of work and how they can contribute to it.

At the Maritime and Transport Career Programme (MTCP), we see this new work experience model not just as a logistical challenge or a compliance requirement, but an opportunity to reshape the way our sector engages with the next generation. It is a moment to inspire a new wave of talent that will carry our industry forward by challenging perceptions from an early age

The Value of Time

Fifty hours may sound like a modest number, but in the context of a young person’s development, it represents something far more significant. It is time to explore unfamiliar environments, to reflect on personal strengths and interests, and to connect with professionals who can offer guidance and encouragement. It is time to build confidence, develop practical skills, and begin to see the relevance of classroom learning in real-world settings.

The Equalex framework, developed by the Careers & Enterprise Company and supported locally by the Hampshire Careers Hub, offers a structured, multi-year approach that gradually builds students’ confidence and skills through a series of meaningful workplace experiences.

Designed to Inspire, Not Just Inform?

A student could begin their journey in primary school by meeting people from MTCP businesses who challenge stereotypes, in Year 7 with a virtual tour of a port, sparking a curiosity about how goods move around the world. By Year 9, that same student is visiting logistics hubs, asking questions about supply chains, and beginning to see how their interests in geography or technology might translate into a career. By Year 11, they are actively contributing to a real project, perhaps helping plan a shipment or draft a marketing campaign. That student is no longer a passive observer. They are an emerging professional, with a growing sense of purpose.

This is the kind of transformation MTCP is working to make possible. Our structured programme offers placements across multiple businesses, tailored to different age groups and career stages, from early secondary students to graduates, career changers, and returners. Each experience is designed not just to inform, but to inspire.

Strategic Investment

By engaging with students early, you have the chance to shape their perceptions, introduce them to the breadth of roles available, and identify potential talent before they make key decisions about their education and career paths

Offering work experience can also energise your existing staff, providing opportunities for mentoring, leadership development, and renewed pride in their work. It strengthens your recruitment pipeline, enhances your reputation in the community, and demonstrates a genuine commitment to social responsibility and inclusive growth.

Meaningful Connections

Young people today are not just looking for experience. They are looking for meaning. They want to understand how their skills and interests connect to real-world challenges. They want to be seen, heard, and supported as they navigate the complex transition from education to employment.

MTCP’s programme is designed to meet those needs. With structured activities, dedicated mentors, and reflective sessions built into every placement, we ensure that each hour is purposeful and impactful. We also offer alternative models, such as immersive days and teacher encounters, to reach students who might otherwise be overlooked.

MTCP’s Invitation to Collaborate

At MTCP, we are not just coordinating placements. We are building futures. We are inviting employers to be part of something bigger than any single business or school. We are helping educators deliver experiences that align with curriculum goals and career guidance benchmarks. And we are giving young people the tools, the confidence, and the connections they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

The new work experience model is not just a challenge. It is a chance to rethink, reframe, and reimagine what work experience can be. Let’s not waste it.