Not a good experience

It appears that work experience could soon become a rare thing if government plans to add red tape to the equation come to fruition. According to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) a government scheme called Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), which conducts checks through the Criminal Records Bureau at £64 a pop, could soon become a requirement for anyone tasked with supervising a work experience person.

This will understandably put thousands of smaller businesses off offering pupils a placement, the FSB claims. I don't know about small businesses, but it is hard enough for many larger organisations to find time to accommodate work experience people as it is, let alone with this type of check in place.

I personally secured my first job in journalism (Northampton Chronicle & Echo) off the back of work experience and I'm sure countless thousands of others have in many other industries as well. It will be a sad state of affairs if future generations are denied this opportunity becuase of red tape.