Work Experience Conference 2025

On Thursday 4th December 2025, Cornwall Education Business Partnership (EBP) hosted its Annual Work Experience Conference. The conference was held at Royal Cornwall Showground in The Pavilion Centre. The event brought together school and college work experience coordinators and careers leaders. The aim to share updates, provide guidance on running work experience programmes. Guest speakers highlighted new opportunities for young people across Cornwall.

The day featured presentations from EBP and other Cornwall Council staff. Guest speakers included Careers Hub, Cornwall Marine Network, Penwith APA, and DWP. Everyone had the chance to network during a lively marketplace lunch, where we were joined by representatives from RNAS Culdrose, Cormac, Tech Cornwall, Spaceport Cornwall, GeoThermal, and English Heritage.

EBP also showcased several exciting projects for schools and young people. These included our new text service – ChatFuture. This SMS-based service will help keep young people informed about future careers and training opportunities. With the aim to make it easier for them to access guidance and updates. Schools can also request tailored sessions to complement this service.

Before the event, all delegates, speakers, and net-workers collaborated with Gavin to prepare for the day. All presentations were carefully prepared to ensure a valuable experience for everyone. On the day, the atmosphere was buzzing. It was fantastic to see so many people coming together with a shared aim. We were all there to help young people in Cornwall shape their futures and step into the world of work.

“Having so many people in one room working together for the benefit of young people is an incredibly positive experience. Work experience gives so many students the confidence and skills they need.” - Gavin Stephens

The main message Gavin wanted attendees to take away was clear.

“Setting up work experience placements and keeping children safe is a collaborative process between schools, employers, and EBP. A higher percentage of school children in Cornwall get to experience the world of work in this way than anywhere else in the country.” - Gavin Stephens

The event ended on a high note, with attendees leaving motivated and equipped. They all left with new ideas to strengthen work experience programmes across Cornwall.

“This conference is a fantastic opportunity for like-minded people to come together and inspire young people into the world of work. Thank you to EBP for making this possible.” - careers lead.

EBP presents this event annually. We feel proud to engage with so many talented people who all want to help the next generation into work. We will be back again next year and, until then, have a very Merry Christmas.