Workplace discovery
Meet a professional, tour an appropriate setting or investigate how a role works with a responsible adult involved.
Best for: early explorationFrom first idea to useful evidence
Plan meaningful work experience and build useful evidence.
Choose an age-appropriate route, prepare a confident approach and turn the experience into evidence a young person can use in their CV, interview and next learning step.
Free to use · no account needed · download the plan when ready
NU FOCUSWORK EXPERIENCE PASSPORT
0101
ExploreFind the fit
02
PrepareBuild confidence
03
ApproachAsk well
04
ExperienceTake part
05
ReflectKeep evidence
Choose the right experience
Choose the right type of work experience.
The format should match the learner’s age, confidence and practical goal. Younger learners can build workplace awareness through supervised discovery and projects before a formal placement is appropriate.
Real-world project
Respond to a genuine brief through research, design, enterprise, budgeting, content or a practical recommendation.
Best for: making evidenceJob shadow or taster
Follow agreed tasks or a role for a short period, with clear induction, supervision and boundaries.
Best for: seeing work in contextStructured placement
Take part in suitable workplace activity arranged with the checks and support required for that learner and setting.
Best for: deeper participationBefore a young person starts
Read HSE work-experience guidance Confirm who is arranging and supervising the experience, the host’s risk arrangements, suitable tasks, emergency contact, accessibility or support needs, insurance position and how concerns will be raised.
Interactive planner
60-second Starting Plan
Choose five broad preferences to create a practical route. Your choices also feed the downloadable Work Experience Pack below.
Your starting route
Supervised discovery plan
Choose the options, then build a practical route with preparation, activity and evidence prompts.
- 1
Choose a directionStart with an interest, not a perfect career answer.
- 2
Agree the safe formatUse an adult-managed discovery conversation or project.
- 3
Capture the learningKeep task evidence and a short reflection.
Adult checkpointConfirm supervision, appropriate tasks and the host or organiser’s arrangements before anything begins.
Practical preparation
Work Experience Checklist & Pack
Tick each stage to reveal the next useful action. The checklist, starting plan, saved ideas, approach message and evidence notes combine into one pack you can take forward.
Checklist progress0%
Start by exploring a suitable route.Useful output
Download your Work Experience Pack
Keep the route, shortlist, contact message, progress and evidence prompts together. Download, copy or print it whenever you are ready.
Next action: choose a suitable route.Idea library
Find suitable work-experience ideas.
Filter practical tasks by age, interest and format, then save up to four ideas in your downloadable pack.
Customer journey review
Observe how a local organisation welcomes and supports customers, then suggest one improvement.
Possible evidenceObservation notes · journey map · short presentation
Event support taster
Support an appropriate part of an event, such as preparation, visitor welcome or post-event review.
Possible evidenceTask log · supervisor comment · reflection
Digital content brief
Create a safe sample post, simple content plan or visual idea in response to an adult-set brief.
Possible evidenceBrief · draft content · feedback changes
Meet a professional
Prepare questions, interview a professional with an adult present and share what the role involves.
Possible evidenceQuestion plan · notes · career reflection
Enterprise micro-project
Respond to a small real-world problem with an idea, basic costs, audience and pitch.
Possible evidenceIdea canvas · costs · pitch · feedback
Community organisation taster
Learn how a charity or community organisation works and complete a suitable supervised task.
Possible evidenceRole notes · task output · reflection
Workplace shadowing
Follow an agreed role or team for a short period, focusing on routines, communication and decisions.
Possible evidenceProcess map · skills spotted · questions answered
Finance and stock challenge
Use safe sample data to explore stock, price, cost or cash-flow decisions without seeing confidential records.
Possible evidenceCalculation sheet · recommendation · reflection
No idea matches all three filters. Widen one choice or clear the filters.
Your shortlist
Adult-managed approach
How to request work experience.
Create a clear first-contact message for a parent, carer, school or organising adult to review and send.
- Ask which formats and age groups are available
- Show the learner’s broad interest and goal
- Clarify supervision, suitable tasks and next steps
Make the learning visible
Record evidence for CVs and interviews.
Short notes now make it easier to explain the experience later. They are added to the downloadable pack above.
Record the learner’s contribution, not confidential workplace information.
Optional formal recognition
Add optional AQA UAS recognition
Eligible work-experience projects can be planned around a suitable validated unit. Tutor-led activity must be agreed before it begins so the required evidence can be gathered. A £35 token covers one learner and one eligible project.
Keep the momentum
Use the experience in a CV or interview.
Turn the strongest task, action, feedback and reflection into evidence for the next opportunity.
Use the evidence
Build a first CV
Turn tasks, feedback and reflection into credible examples.
Explain the evidence
Practise interview answers
Use real moments to answer questions with more confidence.
Build the missing skill
Explore Starz Academy
Connect workplace insight to money, enterprise and future skills.
For the supporting adult
Get work-experience ideas for this plan.
Enter an adult email to receive relevant ideas and future opportunities.
We use this email to send the requested ideas. Read our privacy information.
Before you arrange anything
Work experience questions, answered.
This planner supports preparation. The responsible adult, organiser and host still need to confirm the requirements for the learner, setting and activity.
Return to the plannerDoes Nu FOCUS guarantee a work-experience placement?
No. This page helps a young person and their supporting adult identify a suitable type of experience, prepare an approach and record useful evidence. Any placement is subject to the host organisation, availability, age suitability, safeguarding and the checks required by the responsible school, organiser or adult.
What can a younger learner do before a formal placement?
A supervised workplace visit, interview with a professional, enterprise project, volunteering conversation or adult-led job-shadowing activity can build workplace awareness without presenting ordinary employment as suitable for every age. The responsible adult should confirm what is permitted and appropriate before anything is arranged.
Who is responsible for health and safety during a placement?
The host employer has the main responsibility for the young person’s health and safety during work experience. The school, college or organiser should check that appropriate risk-management arrangements are in place, while the young person should receive clear induction, instruction and supervision.
Does the planner send a child’s information to Nu FOCUS?
No. The plan, checklist and preparation pack do not ask for a child’s name, email address, date of birth or home address, and the answers are not sent to Nu FOCUS. If Remember this plan is selected, the draft is kept for up to 30 days. The separate adult update form collects only the adult contact and broad interest choices shown on screen.
How should work experience be recorded?
Record the tasks completed, decisions made, feedback received, skills demonstrated and a short reflection on what changed. Avoid confidential workplace information. With permission, suitable evidence might include an activity log, supervisor comment, redacted work sample or presentation.
Can work-experience activity receive AQA UAS recognition?
Only when Nu FOCUS has offered the activity against a suitable validated unit and the required outcomes and evidence are completed. Tutor-led activity must be agreed before delivery so evidence can be captured. A £35 certification token covers one learner and one eligible project mapped to one validated unit; it does not guarantee a certificate or create a qualification.
Take the next step