In this section
Apply for work experience
Please note we can only offer work experience to people who live or go to school, college or university in Peterborough.
Who can apply
You must also meet one of the following criteria:
- Be of compulsory school age - i.e. 16 or under
- A student on a UK-based further or higher education course (the work experience must be relevant to your course, take place before your course ends, not exceed one year, and you must provide evidence to confirm you are a student on that course)
- Participants in government schemes or programmes to provide training, work experience or temporary work, or to help in seeking or obtaining work
- Participants in EU Lifelong Learning Programmes (Leonardo da Vinci, European Community Youth in Action, Erasmus or Comenius)
Our work experience programme is designed to provide meaningful, hands-on learning opportunities for students, helping them develop valuable skills.
We welcome applications from students of all backgrounds and are particularly keen to support individuals who may face additional barriers to gaining work experience or who are underrepresented such as: Care Leavers, students from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities and those with Disabilities.
We proudly serve the vibrant and diverse communities of Peterborough and are committed to reflecting this diversity within our team. A diverse workforce benefits everyone – our employees, the organisation, and the communities we serve.
Adults
Adults who do not fall into the above groups are not eligible for our work experience programme due to employment laws.
Those who do not meet the criteria for work experience with us, but are looking to explore a new career, may choose to apply for a job shadowing opportunity.
Job shadowing is where the person observes our colleagues at work, but is not allowed to carry out any work themselves.
If you would like to apply for job shadowing, please follow our standard application process which refers to individuals as 'students'. Regardless of whether you are in formal education, we will use this term on documentation due to the study of the career and work involved.
You should state on the application form that you request job shadowing and what you hope to gain from it. All requests are at the manager's discretion and will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
When to apply
Work experience between September 2024 and August 2025
- March / April / May 2025 placements - apply by 31 January 2025 - we respond by 14 February 2025
- June / July 2025 placements - apply by 14 March 2025 - we respond by 4 April 2025
Work experience between September 2025 and August 2026
- March / April / May 2026 placements - apply by 31 January 2026 - we respond by 12 February 2026
- June / July 2026 placements - apply by 1 March 2026 - we respond by 13 March 2026
We will review all other work experience requests on a quarterly basis - March, June, September and December.
We cannot facilitate work experience opportunities at short notice. Therefore, you should apply with at least six weeks' notice.
How to apply
Use our online form below to apply for work experience.
There is a high interest in our work experience programme and places are limited. Therefore, to avoid disappointment, it is important that students also apply to several other organisations.
We will reply to you within two weeks after the dates on the submission timetable - see our 'when to apply' section.
How we process work experience applications
The manager of your preferred team will review your application. They will decide whether it is possible to offer you a placement. They will consider:
- Dates and times requested
- Workload / capacity of their team
- Skills you wish to practice
- Any interests or ambitions
We will email applicants from earlycareers@peterborough.gov.uk with the outcome.
If we are unable to offer an experience in your preferred team, we may offer you a different opportunity instead. For example, a different team or a mix of teams.
There may be instances where we are unable to offer a placement. Where this is the case, we will give a reason why.
What happens after you receive a work experience offer
If your application for a work experience placement is successful, you must let us know as soon as possible if you intend to accept our offer. Please email earlycareers@peterborough.gov.uk or phone 01733 207 133 to discuss.
You can find further information on what your placement will involve on the following pages:
- What to expect during work experience
- Support available to work experience applicants with additional needs
We will also send you more details closer to your placement date.
Work Experience Agreement
We send all successful applicants a Work Experience Agreement. This document contains further details about your placement and conditions relating to:
- Health and safety
- Confidentiality
- Data protection
It also provides an opportunity for you to remind us:
- What you want to get out of the work experience
- Areas of particular interest
- Skills you want to develop
You must read the Work Experience Agreement carefully and return a signed copy to us. If you are under 18, your parent / guardian must also sign to confirm they have read and understood the conditions.
It is an important step in our planning. You will not be permitted to proceed to your placement area without us having received it.
Contact us
For further information, please email earlycareers@peterborough.gov.uk or phone 01733 207 133.