2026: A Fantastic Year for Work Experience at Bristol City Council
During the 2025/26 academic year, teams across Bristol City Council supported 50 young people from under-represented and under-served backgrounds through week-long work experience placements. 
Students gained hands-on experience across a wide range of services, including Marine Services, Fleet Services, Democratic Services, Legal Services, Adult Commissioning, Parks and many more. These placements provided valuable opportunities to develop new skills, build confidence, raise aspirations and discover the diverse range of careers available within one of Bristol’s largest employers.
Many students reported that their placement challenged perceptions of jobs you can do at Bristol City Council, helping them understand the variety of roles available and opening their minds to future career pathways they had not previously considered.
Making a Difference
One student placed with the South and Central Voids team said:
‘I had a great week and gained a lot of experience. The team were welcoming and involved me in their daily tasks, helping me to gain better knowledge within the working environment.’
A student placed in Policy, Strategy and Public Affairs reflected:
‘It taught me a lot about how policy is created and conveyed to the general public and how different teams of people come together and involved in this process. It’s confirmed that I am interested in this area and maybe working in this sort of career area later on in life. The whole team were super friendly and helpful and I got to speak to a range of people from different teams giving me insight into different areas, and different paths into their jobs. I felt really supported all week and it was very well organised.’
Another student, who completed a placement in Transport Development Management, said:
‘As much as I am thankful towards my colleagues and managers in the transport policy and TDM team, I would also like to thank you for making this work experience come true. This has been a fruitful week for me that had strengthened both my understanding on the discipline and my dedication to transport planning. Thank you so much for all the work behind the scenes.’
Parents also shared the impact of the placements. One parent whose child completed a placement with the Youth Justice Service said:
‘My son has just returned home following his work experience placement. He has come home full of praise – he really has enjoyed it and he wanted me to convey his appreciation and thanks to all of you.
He found it to be an excellent blend of learning about the work you do in your service, participation in activities and off-site visits to Empire Fighting Chance and the Magistrates Court. He found it really interesting, has learned a lot and has really opened his eyes. He is really grateful for the opportunity you gave him and so am I!’
The young people also made a lasting impression on the teams hosting them. Colleagues in Public Relations, Media Campaigns and Marketing praised one student for being:
‘ I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say how impressed we all were with Jake last week. He was very professional yet personable, incredibly engaged and absolutely gave it his all to join in all the activities and tasks we set him up. He was very motivated, asked lots of questions and produced some high quality outputs. We hope that he enjoyed his week and found it valuable.’
Meanwhile, a student placed with the Portfolio, Programmes and Projects team was described as:
‘We’ve been so impressed with our student this week – she has bought energy and enthusiasm to her placement with us, and a genuine interest in project management which has been so refreshing. She is intelligent, ambitious, and keen to learn, all of which I’m sure will make her successful in whichever path she chooses (currently law v. project management, as I understand it!). Sian and I were really impressed with the way she’d digested all that she had learnt this week into a succinct and rich presentation, which she confidently talked us through this morning. She’d interpreted the real work challenge with thoughtfulness, taking on board everything she had been shown whilst also doing her own extensive research to ensure it was fresh, relevant, and engaging. I could sing her praises all day, but I’ll stop now and finish by asking you to extend my thanks to her for the dedication she has shown this week and to pass on our best wishes for Yr11 and beyond!’
A huge thank you to all Bristol City Council teams who hosted students last academic year. By giving your time, knowledge and support, you have helped young people gain meaningful experiences of work, develop confidence and take positive steps towards their futures.
Together, we are helping to inspire Bristol’s next generation of talent.
