Cookies on The Talent Foundry website

We use some essential cookies to make this service work.

We’d also like to use analytics cookies so we can understand how you use the service and make improvements.

View cookies
image/svg+xml

4th June 2025 Cross-sector work experience pilot launched

alternative of the image - See caption below
Students at the first pilot event with Mace

KPMG UK and The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) have launched a new modern work experience pilot in London.

Bringing together major employers including Mace, HSBC, United Airlines, Canary Wharf Group and others, the programme aims to give students multi-sector experiences that reflect the real economy – and ultimately support the Government’s commitment to a universal Work Experience Guarantee.

As part of the pilot, KPMG UK will collaborate with other employers to co-deliver high-quality work experience days to year 9 students across London. This programme offers an alternative to the traditional process where students are required to independently secure a week’s work experience in year 10.

Throughout June and July, KPMG’s sessions, which are supported by national social mobility charity The Talent Foundry, will enable 100 students to engage with more than one industry in a single day – from professional services and finance to aviation, retail and tech.

Cath Burnet, Head of Audit at KPMG UK said:

“Work experience is a valuable opportunity to gain real-world knowledge and acquire the skills needed to succeed in the workplace. Young people need more than a glimpse of one business – they need to understand the breadth of opportunity available to them across different industries. That’s why we’re working together with other organisations to deliver an experience that reflects how the modern world of work actually operates.”

Stuart Riley, Group Chief Information Officer at HSBC, which will be taking part in the work experience pilot, added:

“We’re delighted to welcome students to HSBC as part of the Opening Doors to Opportunities programme in collaboration with KPMG. Through this programme, we will have a real focus on helping develop the technology skills, awareness, and confidence of the young people who attend as part of our wider programme to build a truly inclusive business.”

A showcase joint employer day took place on Tuesday, 3 June 2025, hosted by Mace and KPMG UK. Students spent the day at Mace’s global HQ, taking on the challenge of designing a sustainable, digitally enabled hospital.

Afterwards, KPMG UK turned students into consultants, tasked with solving a real-world problem: how to get patients to the hospital faster and more efficiently.

Senior leaders from all three organisations – including Alfie Heyland, (Consultancy Business Unit Director Local Government, Mace), Cath Burnet (Head of Audit, KPMG UK), and John Yarham (CEO, Careers & Enterprise Company) – helped the students and shared their personal career journeys.

John Yarham, CEO of The Careers & Enterprise Company said:

“It’s only by comparing and contrasting different sectors that young people can truly discover their best next step. This pilot is a blueprint for how businesses can work together to provide meaningful, multi-dimensional experiences that unlock aspiration and potential. We are calling for more employers, of all sizes to work together to build the skills, confidence and insight young people need to take their best next step.”

Jenni Anderson, CEO of The Talent Foundry said:

“We know that building connections between disadvantaged young people and employers can unlock potential, especially for those furthest from traditional work experience opportunities. Through these unique collaborations, young people begin to see that there’s a place for them, their talents, and their skills in the modern workplace. At the same time, we’re supporting schools and teachers to bring employer encounters into the classroom in a new and meaningful way.”