Twelve Year 8 students from Haileybury Turnford School in Cheshunt visited Broxbourne Council as part of a new modern work experience programme.

Unlike traditional week-long placements at a single workplace, the programme, run by Hertfordshire Careers Hub (part of Hertfordshire Futures), is designed to be shorter and more concentrated, giving students the opportunity to visit a broad range of workplaces and discover first-hand the types of work that interest them.

During their visit, the secondary school students were given a guided tour of most of the Council’s departments, including Property, Planning, Finance and Housing.

Department heads provided a brief overview of their team’s responsibilities, and the group were also introduced to staff members who are working towards industry qualifications alongside their roles at the Council. The visit aimed to help students understand how their studies relate to the world of work, explore different career paths, and identify the types of roles that suit their strengths and interests.

The tour concluded with a talk by the Leader of Broxbourne Council, Councillor Corina Gander, who described her role, the role of Councillors and how they work across the Council’s departments to serve the local community.

Students were also led in a group exercise, encouraging them to consider which aspects of the Borough the Council could improve.

Erica Hodges, Modern Day Work Experience Lead at Hertfordshire Futures, said: "High-quality work experience is one of the most powerful ways to inspire young people and connect them to future careers.

By engaging them early, employers can open doors, challenge perceptions, and bring their industry to life. We are delighted to have partnered with Broxbourne Borough Council to give students an insight into how their local council operates and the wide range of rewarding careers it offers."

Councillor Corina Gander, Leader of Broxbourne Council, said: "It was a pleasure to welcome the students of Haileybury Turnford School to the Council and speak to them about the work we do for our residents.

We are proud to be one of the first workplaces to take part in this new work experience programme, which has received an overwhelmingly positive response from both students and teachers. We trust it provided some guidance and inspiration as they consider their future careers."

About the Careers Hub
Hertfordshire Careers Hub is led by Hertfordshire Futures in partnership with Services for Young People (part of Hertfordshire County Council) and funded by The Careers & Enterprise Company. It works with 113 local schools and colleges and, through its popular Generation careers fair series, has enabled more than 26,500 young people and their parents/carers to meet and interact directly with over 400 employers.

Let’s make it work

Workplace experience isn’t all about week-long commitments anymore – flexible workplace opportunities make it easier than ever for businesses of all sizes to get involved.

Contact Erica Hodges, Modern Day Work Experience Lead, erica.hodges@hertfordshirefutures.co.uk to find out how we can make it work for you.