Reimaging and operationalising ‘meaningful’ work experience in England: The PERE model – An illustrative case study

Ladi Mohammed; Dilshani Wijemuni

doi:10.20856/jnicec.5614

Authors

Ladi Mohammed-Chapman 7 Continental Careers Ltd (7CC) and Global Educational Travel and Tours CIC (GETT)
Shani Wijemuni 7 Continental Careers Ltd (7CC) and Global Educational Travel and Tours CIC (GETT)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20856/jnicec.5614

Keywords:

Work Experience, Gatsby Benchmarks, PERE Model, Careers Development, Equitable Access, Reflective Practice

Abstract

This practice-led case study introduces the PERE (Prepare, Execute, Reflect, Evaluate) Model as a practical framework for delivering meaningful experiences of workplaces in secondary education. While the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) define what high-quality career learning should achieve, and professional bodies, including the Career Development Institute (CDI) and National Institute for Career Education and Counselling (NICEC), articulate why careers education matters, PERE focuses on how to operationalise these intentions through repeatable routines, adaptable tools, and clearly defined roles for schools and employer partners. The paper presents an illustrative example to demonstrate the model’s feasibility and transferability.

Author Biographies

Ladi Mohammed-Chapman, 7 Continental Careers Ltd (7CC) and Global Educational Travel and Tours CIC (GETT)

Ladi Mohammed-Chapman is a careers, employability and pathways consultant; Director of 7 Continental Careers (7CC) and Founder/CEO of Global Educational Travel & Tours (GETT). She created the PERE model to translate policy into the practical delivery of Gatsby Benchmark 6, with a focus on SEND inclusion, work-insight visits, and hybrid/in-school placements. She partners with UK schools and Careers Hubs to design inclusive experiences of workplaces that integrate employer engagement, curriculum links, and structured reflection, and has led multi-stakeholder programmes that widen access and strengthen learner outcomes.
Shani Wijemuni, 7 Continental Careers Ltd (7CC) and Global Educational Travel and Tours CIC (GETT)

Shani Wijemuni is Policy Officer at Global Educational Travel & Tours (GETT). She leads policy development and practitioner guidance on Gatsby Benchmark 6, focusing on inclusive, scalable delivery and evidence-informed practice. Previously, she specialised in the inclusive delivery of Benchmark 6—designing and coordinating work-insight visits, hybrid provision, and employer-site activities—and worked closely with students, teachers, and employer partners to support preparation, reflection, and evaluation. She is co-author of this article and has implemented—and supported evaluation of—the PERE model in practice, now translating those insights into policy and implementation guidance.

References

Careers & Enterprise Company. (2019). Careers Leaders in Secondary Schools: Survey Report.

Carosin, É., Canzittu, D., Loisy, C., Pouyaud, J., & Rossier, J. (2021). Developing lifelong guidance and counselling prospective by addressing individual and collective experience of humanness, humanity and the world. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 22(3), 643–665 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-021-09512-0

Chen, D. (2023). Toward an understanding of 21st-century skills: From a systematic review. Int J Educ Vocat Guidance 23, 275–294. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-021-09511-1

Department for Education. (2025). Statutory careers guidance for schools and colleges.

Dodd, V., Hanson, J., & Hooley, T. (2022). Increasing students’ career readiness through career guidance: Measuring the impact with a validated measure. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 50(2), 260–272. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2021.1937515

Donald, W. E., & Straby, R. (2024). Supporting clients via narrative storytelling and artificial intelligence: A practitioner guide for career development professionals. Career Development International 29, 415-420. https://doi.org/10.1108/CDI-02-2024-0085

Donald, W. E., Van der Heijden, B. I. J. M. & Baruch, Y. (2024). Introducing a sustainable career ecosystem: Theoretical perspectives, conceptualization, and future research agenda. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 151, 103989. DOI: 10.1016/j.jvb.2024.103989.

Duffy, R. D., Kim, H. J., Pérez, G., Prieto, C. G., Torgal, C., & Kenny, M. E. (2022). Decent education as a precursor to decent work: An overview and construct conceptualization. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 138, 103771. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2022.103771

Education Endowment Foundation. (2022). Improving careers education: Evidence review. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/evidence-reviews/careers-education

Education and Employers (2024). Career guidance for Key Stage 3: Opportunities and pitfalls.

https://www.educationandemployers.org/research/career-guidance-for-ks3-opportunities-and-pitfalls/

Finnish National Agency for Education. (2023). Finnish National Core Curriculum for Basic Education https://www.oph.fi/en/statistics-and-publications/publications/finnish-national-core-curriculum-basic-education

Gatsby Charitable Foundation. (2025). Good Career Guidance: The Gatsby Benchmarks. https://www.gatsby.org.uk/education/focus-areas/good-career-guidance

Hooley, T., Hanson, J., & Clark, L. (2022). Exploring students’ and graduates’ attitudes to the process of transition to the labour market. Industry and Higher Education, 37(3), 121–134. https://doi.org/10.1177/09504222221111298

Hooley, T., Hanson, J., & Clark, L. (2023). Exploring students’ and graduates’ attitudes to the process of transition to the labour market. Industry and Higher Education, 7(1), 121–134. https://doi.org/10.1177/09504222221111298

Hooley, T. (2022). The impact of Covid-19 on careers. Journal of the National Institute of Career Education and Counselling, 48(1), 3–12. https://doi.org/10.20856/jnicec.4802

Hooley, T. (2024). Career and sustainability. Journal of the National Institute for Career Education and Counselling, 53(1), 3–7. https://doi.org/10.20856/jnicec.5301

Joho, C., Mok, S. Y., Hoffelner, C., & Düggeli, A. (2024). Analyzing teachers’ competencies in career guidance: A systematic review. Frontiers in Education, 9, Article 1488662. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1488662

Kettunen, J. Skovhus R, Roise P, Rosvall PA, Einarsdottir A, Eshaghbeigi-Hosseini M (2023). Work experience placements in lower secondary education in Nordic countries. Nordic Journal of Transitions, Careers and Guidance, 4(1), 29–42. https://doi.org/10.16993/njtcg.60

Magee, M., Kuijpers, M., & Runhaar, P. (2022). How vocational education teachers and managers make sense of career guidance. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 50(2), 273-289. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2021.1948970

Magee, M., Kuipers, M., & Runhaar. (2025). What do we expect from career guidance in schools? A comparison of the intended results in national and school policy. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling. Advanced Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2025.2487491

McMahon, M., & Knight, E. (2024). Sustainability: Implications for career development. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-024-09693-4

Melville, A. (2021). The Work Experience Revolution: How harnessing diverse young talent can transform our world ISBN-13979-8775923471

Moote, J., Archer, L., Henderson, M., Watson, E., DeWitt, J., Francis, B., & Holmegaard, H. (2025). More is more: Exploring the relationship between young people’s experiences of school-based career education, information, advice and guidance at age 14–16 and wider adult outcomes at age 21–22 in England. Research Papers in Education, 40(1), 72–95. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2024.2330971

NasEN. (2020). Vocational Profiling Toolkit for SEND Learners. https://nasen.org.uk/resources/vocational-profiling-toolkit

NICEC. (2022). Responding to Policy Reform: Practitioner Insights. National Institute for Careers Education and Counselling.

Ofsted. (2024). Education Inspection Framework: Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare. Ofsted.

Orlando, C. (2022). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people’s experiences of careers support: A UK-wide and youth-centred analysis. Journal of the National Institute for Career Education and Counselling, Issue 49, 27–33. https://doi.org/10.20856/jnicec.4905

Percy, C., & Hooley, T. (2024). Lessons for career guidance from return-on-investment analyses in complex education-related fields. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 52(3), 503–521. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2023.2186372

Percy, C., & Tanner, E. (2022). Careers Hubs: Pilot of a place-based school improvement network in England. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 51(6), 988–1004. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2022.2044014

Pham, T, Le Hong-Chi T, Lai P.L, Do T.T & Nguyen, T.T. (2024). Science mapping research on Career guidance in general schools: A bibliometric analysis from Scopus database, 1964–2022. Cogent Education, 11(1), Article 2301877. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186x.2024.2301877

Rice, S., Hooley, T., & Crebbin, S. (2022). Approaches to quality assurance in school-based career development: Policymaker perspectives from Australia. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 50(1), 110–127. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2021.1919860

Rice, S., & Hooley, T. (2025). How can and should secondary school teachers be involved in building students’ career knowledge and skills? A Delphi study of the expert community. Journal of Education and Work, 37(5-6), 483-501. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2025.2456849

SQW. (2022). Rapid review of the evidence on work experience. SQW Ltd. Retrieved from https://www.sqw.co.uk/application/files/1216/7102/7753/SQW-Rapid_Review_of_Evidence_on_Work_Experience-FINAL.pdf

Tuononen, T., Räisänen, M., & Hyytinen, H. (2024). Students’ work experience in relation to their career engagement and metacognitive awareness. Higher Education Research and Development. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2024.2332251