Students secure council leader's commitment on work experience

Local young people protested outside Barnet Council’s Colindale offices last month reports Leïla Davaud

Young people holding colourful placards — Students protesting outside Barnet Council’s offices

Chanting “Hi-ho, hi-ho, it’s off to work we go” and carrying their CVs, 30 students dressed as their dream jobs rallied in front of Barnet Council’s Colindale offices last month.

Pilots, engineers, entertainers and even a prime minister demanded greater access to work experience placements.

The students, from year nine, ten and twelve at Hendon School and St Michael’s Catholic Grammar School, expressed their concerns for their future through testimonies given to council leader Barry Rawlings.

Aimee, a student from St Michael’s, said: “We aren’t asking for jobs to be handed to us, we are asking for the opportunity to earn our place. We agree to a system where success depends on who you know rather than what you can achieve.”

She added: “Ambition alone isn’t enough if the opportunities aren’t there, and every rejection chips away at your confidence.”

Currently, Barnet Council offers ten work experience places and does not coordinate work experience offers from businesses in the borough.

“But it is going to change,” Marian Mohamed told Barnet Post. She is a student at University College London (UCL) in social sciences and takes part in the module on educating and organising for social justice which led her to be assigned to the schools’ campaign.

“Cllr Rawlings pledged to increase the number of work experience placements offered by Barnet Council and convene local businesses to create more opportunities.

“He mentioned including a call for placements in the council’s monthly newsletter, which reaches around 1,100 local businesses. He also committed to exploring whether work experience commitments could be added to social value agreements for developers and contractors, to holding a roundtable with Barnet Council officers, and to visiting Hendon School and St Michael’s Grammar School to discuss further solutions.”

Marian added: “I was happy to see younger students fighting for their rights and being heard!”

Rafael, a year twelve student from St Michael’s said: “It felt very fulfilling to be part of this campaign. I hope it becomes successful and that young people especially are able to exercise their capacity to do good.”

The campaign comes amid growing national concern about young people’s employment prospects.

Former Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described the latest findings on young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) as “sobering” following Alan Milburn’s report warning that the number of young people who are NEET could rise by around 25% by the 2030s if further action is not taken.

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