15/09/2025
At this time of year, work experience is on many people’s minds.
I can only take on one placement a year – and it’s only September, but my 2026 slot is already booked.
In 2022, I offered a supported internship to a young person from Hive College in Erdington (a specialist college for young people with learning disabilities). It was a huge success. They built confidence, learned to travel independently on a two-bus journey, answered the office door, created graphics on canva and scheduled marketing posts, and even joined me at an awards ceremony at the ICC.
The following year, a parent asked if I could support their autistic child with a one-week placement. They were anxious and couldn’t cope in most office environments, but loved graphic design and gaming. We built the placement around that. The result? A huge leap in confidence, excellent communication skills when given the right space, and some brilliant branding work that I still use today.
Word has spread now!
For a small business, it can be daunting to offer work experience. You need a safe, accessible space. IT Equipment. Health and safety and safeguarding in place. Real, meaningful tasks. But it is possible – and the impact is transformative.
At Creative Active Lives /DigiTribe, we don’t just run gaming socials and interest-led courses. We grow with the young people we support. That means moving from play and creative expression into mentoring, work experience, leadship opportunities, career aspirations and career talks. Two yoing volunteers both gained paid roles with us after gaining experience. Every young person deserves to see a future where they belong.
I wanted to be a le to offer work experience placements after my own daughter was offered a placement with Superfast IT a few years ago where she thrived. They showed me what’s possible when businesses say yes.
Too many young people with SEND, anxiety, or sensory needs are excluded from traditional work experience. If more small businesses opened their doors, even just once a year, it could change lives.
If you’re considering offering a placement but not sure how to make it work, I’m always happy to share what I’ve learned.
