Barnet Council pledges more work experience after student protest

Barnet Council has committed to expanding work experience opportunities for young people after a protest by students from Hendon School and St Michael’s Catholic Grammar School. Council leader Barry Rawlings pledged to increase the number of placements offered by the council and to convene local businesses to create more opportunities, as reported by the Barnet Post.

Thirty students gathered outside the council’s Colindale offices in July, dressed as their dream professions. They carried CVs and chanted, demanding better access to work experience. The protest followed concerns that ambition alone is not enough to secure placements in the borough.

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Students demand change

Aimee, a student at St Michael’s Catholic Grammar School, told the council leader that young people are not asking for jobs to be handed to them. She said they want the chance to earn their place, adding that repeated rejections erode confidence. Barnet Council currently offers ten work experience places and does not coordinate offers from local businesses.

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.

Aimee, student at St Michael’s Catholic Grammar School

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Marian Mohamed, a University College London student involved in the campaign, said Rawlings pledged to include a call for placements in the council’s monthly newsletter. The newsletter reaches around 1,100 local businesses. He also committed to exploring whether work experience requirements could be added to social value agreements for developers and contractors.

Rawlings further promised to hold a roundtable with council officers and visit Hendon School and St Michael’s to discuss solutions. No dates have been set for these meetings. Marian said she was encouraged by the students’ efforts and their impact.

National context

The protest comes amid rising national concern about young people’s employment prospects. Former Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the latest figures on young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) as “sobering,” as reported by the BBC. A report by Alan Milburn warned that the number of NEET young people could rise by around 25% by the 2030s without further action.

Rafael, a year twelve student at St Michael’s, said the campaign was fulfilling. He hoped it would succeed in giving young people the chance to demonstrate their potential. The council has not yet provided a timeline for implementing the pledged changes.

What happens next

Barnet Council will include a call for work experience placements in its next monthly newsletter, sent to 1,100 local businesses. The council will also explore adding work experience commitments to social value agreements for developers and contractors. A roundtable with council officers and visits to Hendon School and St Michael’s are planned, but no dates have been confirmed.