Like many aspects of the modern workplace, work experience has gradually been going virtual. Some of the UK’s biggest employers – including Vodafone, the NHS and John Lewis – have begun replacing the traditional two-week on-site work experience with online video courses that students can access on demand.
Virtual work experience programmes aim to provide young people with an insight into working life at the organisations involved. They often include interactive elements such as quizzes, games and assessments.
There’s been a “proliferation of new work experience formats” since the pandemic, says Chris Rea, head of commercial services at higher education not-for-profit organisation Jisc. Although two thirds of work experience placements and internships still take place in person, 15% are conducted online, 17% in a hybrid format and 2% through virtual reality technology, according to Prospects Luminate’s Early Careers Survey.
Proponents claim that these digital work experience placements can help companies broaden their talent pools and diversify their work experience intake. As businesses face ongoing skills shortages and pressure to diversify their workforce, it’s clear to see the appeal of virtual work experience to HR leaders.
Improving diversity
Sam Hyams, CEO and founder of virtual work experience provider Springpod, believes that these online alternatives can help improve social mobility and allow a greater diversity of students to connect with top employers.
Hyams says many students secure in-person work placements through their parents or school. “It’s really unfair that your future is dictated by who your parents are, what school you go to and what alumni networks you have access to,” he says. “This is one way to level the playing field.”
Virtual work experience can expose students to a broader range of potential careers. For example, Barclays offers students a chance to gain an insight into working life at its digital transformation agency, while JLL offers a course on real estate in the metaverse.
Ceira Thom, head of learning, inclusion and belonging at the John Lewis Partnership, says its virtual work experience trial, which has been running since May, allows the company to “showcase a variety of different careers” and ensures students get a “consistent experience”.
How virtual work experience benefited Airbus
Airbus began offering students virtual work experience through Springpod’s platform in 2021, when the pandemic forced many companies to work remotely.
Rob Martin, employer brand and marketing manager, oversees the aerospace engineering firm’s global graduate and virtual work experience programmes. “It’s offered us a new way to reach young people and tell them about the opportunities available at Airbus,” Martin says.
It’s our responsibility to improve the talent journey wherever we can
The online modules offered on the programme educate students on the aerodynamics of Airbus’ aircraft, the different use-cases for the helicopters it produces and the challenge of sending satellites into orbit, as well as providing an insight into working life at the company.
“Our goal is to spark an interest in engineering for pre-GCSE students,” Martin says. “It shows off the range of possibilities that are available with a career in STEM, which can sometimes be quite an inaccessible marketplace for jobs.”
Airbus has reached 20,000 students through the programme. Among its April cohort, 55% were from an ethnic minority, 35% were expecting to be the first in their families to go to university and 6% reported having a disability or special educational needs.
Although many of the students that have completed the company’s virtual work experience programme are yet to enter the workforce, Airbus is already seeing apprentices reference it in their applications, while others have gone on to secure jobs within the wider aerospace engineering sector.
“As one of the biggest employers in the aerospace industry, it’s our responsibility to improve the talent journey wherever we can,” Martin says. “Knowing that there are some students who have gone on to work for companies in our supply chain is a win for us and for the industry.”
The in-person advantage
Despite the success that companies like Airbus have found with online work experience courses, students still find at least some in-person experience to be beneficial.
In-person internships and placements are the most useful options for developing skills and confirming career choices, according to students questioned as part of Prospects Luminate’s Early Careers Survey. Hybrid placements are considered best for improving career prospects but online placements are rated least useful in all three respects.
You can’t replicate the interpersonal skills that you gain through in-person placements
Rea believes that virtual work experience programmes do not fully prepare students for the world of work. This has been a growing concern for businesses, which have reported that younger recruits often lack some of the soft skills that help them adapt to the workplace.
“There are things that you can only learn from in-person experience, such as company culture, how to work with other people and picking up on the nuances and subtleties that you get from face-to-face communication,” Rea says.
While the growing number of virtual placement opportunities are a positive for students, employers shouldn’t use them in isolation, according to Rea. “Without being able to talk to staff and meet key people within the business, it’s not a full proposition,” he adds.
Hyams stresses that virtual programmes should not be seen as a complete replacement for in-person work experience. “It needs to be part of a mix,” he says. “You can’t replicate the interpersonal skills that you gain through in-person placements.”
Although virtual placements can be an effective way for companies to diversify their work experience intake and reach a wider audience, a hybrid approach may be the best option to prepare students for the working world.
