Purpose Lab and E.ON partner with students to discuss work experience and power real-world experience

How can we make work experience fair, meaningful, and accessible to everyone?

That was the question at the heart of a recent Purpose Lab session, where students joined E.ON and The Purpose Coalition to share their experiences and ideas for shaping the future of early careers. The conversation explored who gets access to work experience, what “good” looks like, and how opportunities can be scaled fairly to reach more people across the UK.

Powering real-world learning at E.ON
Students heard about E.ON’s wide range of early career opportunities, which include apprenticeships across all levels, including degree and level 7, graduate schemes and internships within Energy Markets, and targeted student insight days. These programmes span multiple UK sites and cover everything from engineering and sustainability to digital innovation, customer operations, and project management.

Each participant is supported by a dedicated point of contact and encouraged to take part in activities that link directly to their personal interests and future ambitions. Mentoring and feedback are built in from the start, helping participants develop both technical knowledge and transferable skills such as teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.

E.ON’s approach is guided by its purpose: to lead the energy transition towards a smarter, more sustainable future. Work experience opportunities are designed to give students a real sense of what that means, connecting their learning to live business challenges and the broader shift toward clean energy.

Plans are also underway to review how to broaden access and standardise the work experience offer, ensuring every young person can benefit from a consistent and meaningful opportunity regardless of background or location. Alongside work experience programmes, E.ON runs ad-hoc insight days, site visits, and partnerships with schools and colleges, creating multiple pathways for early engagement.

The importance of student feedback
Students emphasised that visibility and clarity are key — opportunities should be easy to find, clearly explained, and inclusive of everyone, not just those who already have industry connections.
They also called for a blend of online and in-person experiences: interactive rather than information-heavy, enabling wider participation across the country while still offering valuable on-site contact and networking.

Another strong theme was the importance of transferable skills. Students said placements should help them grow as communicators, collaborators, and problem-solvers, providing long-term value across any career path.

What “good” looks like
Students shared examples of both positive and poor work experience. Common frustrations included being under-used, stuck with generic tasks, or struggling to find opportunities in the first place.

The consensus was clear: great work experience means meaningful participation, not passive shadowing. Students want to take on real tasks, connect with people at all levels (including senior leaders), and receive guidance and feedback that builds confidence: an approach already embedded in many of E.ON’s existing early career programmes.

Rt Hon Justine Greening, Chair of the Purpose Coalition, said: “The session with E.ON was a brilliant example of the power of Purpose Lab. Students were at the centre of the conversation on who gets access to work experience, what good looks like, and how to scale it fairly. Hearing their lived experience alongside an employer willing to listen and act made the discussion practical and worthwhile.”

“The Purpose Lab is where real-world learning happens. It gives students meaningful exposure to live business challenges while helping employers build solutions shaped by the future workforce’s priorities — a genuine win-win that accelerates social mobility.”

A blueprint for work experience success
The Purpose Lab students outlined a shared vision for what great work experience could look like.

Their ideas included:

• One clear, accessible webpage covering all opportunities, from school and college students to university leavers, career returners, and changers.
• Opening access beyond friends and family, with targeted outreach to schools and colleges in disadvantaged areas.
• Blended learning, using short, interactive online modules to introduce E.ON and surface individual interests and skills before purposeful on-site days.
• Guaranteed outcomes such as a small project, presentation, or reflection, that can be showcased on a CV or LinkedIn profile.
• Mentorship and feedback embedded from the start, ensuring every participant leaves with something tangible and valuable.

E.ON’s commitment to inclusive early careers
The session highlighted E.ON’s deep commitment to inclusive, meaningful early careers opportunities, where every young person can access the tools, networks, and experiences they need to succeed in their future career.

Naomi Furlonger, Early Careers Talent Consultant at E.ON, said: “At E.ON, we believe work experience should be more than observation. It’s about giving young people exposure to the real world of work, enabling them to gain the confidence they need to start off their careers. Every opportunity we offer is structured with clear guidance, real tasks, and mentoring to make sure participants gain skills they can use in any future career. We’re working to make these opportunities visible, inclusive, and accessible for everyone, because when young people feel empowered early on, it strengthens the future workforce and our communities.”

The Purpose Lab session with E.ON showed what’s possible when students and employers come together to reimagine work experience. By listening, sharing, and acting on lived experiences, E.ON is helping to shape a more inclusive and impactful early careers landscape — one where every young person has the chance to build confidence, gain real-world skills, and see their potential power the future.