Bristol WORKS Employer Journey: Overbury

About Overbury

Overbury is a market leading office fit out and refurbishment specialist. Their Southern team has social value goals to enhance the wellbeing of individuals within the communities they work in and call home. This year, there is a particular focus on employment, education and training, with the team dedicating their time and skills to empower young people and those facing the highest risk of social exclusion.

Working together

Bristol WORKS staff and Overbury initially collaborated to develop a short opportunity that could be delivered as part of two careers carousels for students in years 7 – 11, at St Matthias Academy, an Alternative Learning Provision with sites in Bath and Fishponds, Bristol. Students at St Matthias have social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. These needs present in different ways but can mean that learners struggle to focus for prolonged periods of time and find meeting new people overwhelming. They can also find it challenging to grasp what pathways are available to them. WORKS supported Overbury to understand the needs of the young people and develop a 20-minute input appropriate to the group. This included: reducing talking time and instead having the opportunity to talk and ask questions while doing activities, pitching information in an accessible way by focussing on skills and practical routes into the profession, and having multiple small activities so students could move onto something new if they began to disengage. After the first engagement the school said: “Overbury construction was fantastic and relevant to many of our students”. From there, further opportunities were developed to support the most vulnerable learners, with Overbury supporting 35 learners over the course of the academic year, through bespoke and impactful engagement.

Careers carousel

Overbury was one of 5 employers at several careers carousels in Alternative Learning Provisions, running 20-minute slots with small groups of students. WORKS collaborated with them to develop a range of short activities to keep students engaged including tower building, logic puzzles, trying on PPE, and a match the tool activity. While participating, Overbury staff spoke to students about pathways into construction.

Work taster visits

Following the success of the careers carousels, WORKS and Overbury developed an on-site work taster visit that was delivered with students from Alternative Learning Provisions and targeted groups from mainstream schools. Again, visits were designed so that any talking and listening activities were short and broken up by movement or hands-on tasks. The visit consisted of an interactive site tour where students had to find their way around using a specially designed map, a bridge building activity, and the opportunity to speak to Overbury staff who had struggled in school but were now thriving in construction careers.

Work experience

After building relationships with students through careers carousels and work taster visits, Overbury offered work experience placements to two Bristol WORKS students – one from Northstar 240, another Alternative Learning Provision, and one from Bridge Learning Campus. WORKS collaborated with Overbury to plan the content of the work experience placements, ensuring learners were set up for success. For the student from Northstar, days were planned to be shorter so as not to overwhelm, and other reasonable adjustments made. For both students, tasks were aligned with their specific areas of interest which were gathered by WORKS before the placements.

Impact on learners

For many Bristol WORKS students, taking part in a real work activity, and particularly visiting a new site, meeting new people and being treated as a professional adult, is a huge milestone. Scott Mitchell, Careers Lead at Northstar 240 said: “Our students’ primary need is social, emotional and mental health, so for them to participate in activity with new people and environments is challenging. However, many were impacted positively by workplace experiences including increased confidence to communicate with members of the public, use equipment, travel to venues and follow more complex instructions.”

Learners in Alternative Learning Provisions are often more interested in entering the world of work quickly, rather than continuing in education. Hearing from staff at Overbury who had also struggled in school but had now forged successful careers in construction was inspirational for the students.

One student who took part in work experience said: “I’ve really enjoyed doing something different. I like being practical, using tools and doing jobs.” This progression from taster activities to work experience has been an important step for some young people. Overbury shared: “Some of the most impactful sessions have resulted in us offering work experience placements to two students… These placements provide invaluable, hands-on experience and are a fundamental part of helping young people navigate their career pathways within the construction industry.”

Impact on schools

School staff were proud to see how their students engaged with the work experience presented to them, and pleased with the quality of the opportunities. Northstar 240 said: “The work experience opportunities provided by Bristol WORKS to our year 10 students were relevant, aspirational and engaging. Staff at Bristol WORKS and employers were extremely accommodating to liaise with students about their interests and needs before and during encounters to ensure maximum engagement.”

Staff at St Matthias Academy felt that the visits had enhanced their own internal provision, sharing: “These opportunities give teachers an understanding of different types of employers so they can speak with more authority to learners.”

Impact on Overbury

Through the partnership with WORKS, Overbury has been able to deliver impact that aligns with their social value priorities. Overbury shared: “The collaboration between WORKS and Overbury is highly effective, driven by consistent communication and a shared commitment to supporting young people. WORKS regularly brings forward meaningful opportunities, and we are proud to offer our support in return. Your dedication to engaging with schools across Bristol has been outstanding, and our involvement would not have been possible without your continued partnership. Everyone I’ve worked with in the WORKS team has been exceptional—knowledgeable, supportive, and committed to ensuring that the sessions we deliver are relevant and impactful.”

Building on success

While the partnership between Overbury and WORKS is in its first year, the potential for long term impact is clear. WORKS and Overbury are collaborating to develop a range of opportunities for learners in the future. These include further work tasters and work experience opportunities for Northstar, working with students they have built a trusting relationship with, as well as a three part project for WORKS learners, starting with an in school session, a visit, and then a real work challenge.