Build Your Future Workforce

Work Experience and Work Trials

Work experience through Jobcentre Plus offers unemployed young people with little or no work history the chance to gain practical workplace skills. Placements last between two and eight weeks and can be extended by up to four weeks where an apprenticeship offer is made.

A work trial is a short period in work you can offer to a jobseeker on benefits. It’s a way for you both to see if the job is a good fit. They volunteer, keep their benefits and you don't pay a wage during the trial, making it a low-risk way to find the right candidate.

Work trials last a maximum of 30 days depending on job length, ending when you decide whether the jobseeker is suitable for the role.

Benefits for employers

• Access a pool of enthusiastic candidates eager to learn and contribute fresh perspectives
• Develop the supervisory and management skills of your existing workforce
• Enhance your organisation's profile by supporting your local community
• Promote workforce diversity

This is your chance to partner with us to shape training to meet your skills needs, while giving young people experience to build their skills and strengthen their CVs.

Find out more about how to organise a work experience placementopens www.gov.uk in a new tab

Sector-based Work Academy Programmes

A Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAP) is a fully government funded programme that helps you recruit job-ready candidates through up to six weeks of tailored pre-employment training, a work placement with your business, and a guaranteed job interview. It's a partnership between your organisation, Jobcentre Plus and a training provider.

Benefits for employers

• Shape training to meet your specific skills needs
• See candidates in action before making a hiring decision
• Access a large pool of motivated jobseekers, including young people, through your dedicated Jobcentre contact
• The programme is fully funded by the government

Find out more about SWAPsopens find-employer-schemes.education.gov.uk in a new tab

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships combine practical on-the-job training with study, allowing you to develop employees with the exact skills your business needs. They're available at levels ranging from GCSE equivalent to degree level, across hundreds of roles in 15 sectors. Foundation apprenticeships are also available in construction, engineering, digital, and health and social care.

Benefits for employers

• Grow your own talent aligned to your business needs
• 80% of employers that take on apprentices report higher staff retention and 92% see a boost in workforce motivation
• Employers see an average annual gain of £2,500 to £18,000 in output per apprentice during training
• Training costs can be partly or fully covered by government depending on your business size and the apprentice's age

Employer Incentives

• You could receive additional payments of £1,000 for recruiting:
  • 16 to 18 year olds (or 15 years of age if the apprentice’s 16th birthday is between the last Friday of June and 31 August)
  • 19 to 24 year olds who have an education, health and care plan
  • 19 to 24 year olds who have been in local authority care
• You could receive to up to £2,000 for eligible foundation apprenticeships.opens skillsengland.education.gov.uk in a new tab
• No employer National Insurance contributions for employees under 21, or for apprentices under 25 earning below £50,270

Find out more about apprenticeshipsopens www.apprenticeships.gov.uk in a new tab

Jobs Guarantee

The Jobs Guarantee offers eligible 18 to 21-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for 18 months a six-month paid job of up to 25 hours a week. The government provides financial support to help cover employment costs along with wraparound support for young people as they transition into meaningful work.

Benefits for employers

• Employers providing jobs will be reimbursed 25 hours per week at the age relevant National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage for 6 months
• National Insurance Contributions and minimum automatic enrolment pension contributions, where relevant, covered for 6 months
• Receive support from local partners to help young people succeed in your workplace and contribute to tackling youth unemployment in your area

How to get involved

From Spring 2026, the Jobs Guarantee is rolling out in areas with some of the highest need, including Birmingham and Solihull, East Midlands, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire and Essex, Central and East Scotland, and Southwest and Southeast Wales.

In each of the six areas the Jobs Guarantee will be run by a Delivery Partner, who will match eligible young people to a job and provide the personalised support necessary for young people to thrive in the workplace. DWP will post a list of the delivery partners for each area, once awarded, so that employers know who they can work with to offer opportunities under the scheme.