Virtual

Pathways to Parliament: UK Parliament Work Experience

Job sector

Government & Politics

Kickstart your future

You don’t need to know where you’re going to get started. Discover skills training options. It all starts with skills.

This programme is open to anyone aged 14-18 living in the United Kingdom

Certificate of completion

Over 7 hours worth of content

Overview

Did you know that Parliament is more than just policy-making, legislation and government? Join this programme with UK Parliament to be introduced to a diverse range of teams and career opportunities in the UK's supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom. We’ll introduce you to the role of UK Parliament in shaping the country as well as a wide range of careers and pathways into this iconic institution so you can get your foot in the door and make a real difference.

What’s Included

This Virtual Work Experience programme is equipped with engaging content designed to show you the various careers and pathways at UK Parliament. What’s more, you’ll complete a series of quizzes and fun activities to help build your understanding.

In this introduction to UK Parliament, we’ll discover how UK Parliament works, the important role it plays in our country in terms of policy-making, debating, representing the interests of the public, and more. You’ll also discover the parliamentary values held by the House of Lords and House of Commons. By completing this module, you’ll gain foundational knowledge that will be developed throughout the programme.

If you like the idea of a career in parliament, good news! This module will delve into the different careers available at the iconic institution. You’ll meet different teams such as the Select Committee Team, Research and Information, and the Governance Office. You’ll find out what careers are available in these teams and learn what skills are required in order to secure a role. You’ll also hear from a member of UK Parliament working in one of these teams to listen to their experiences and gain insight into their day-to-day.

Continuing from the previous module, you’ll discover additional career areas at UK Parliament, such as the In-house Services Estates Team, Restoration and Renewal Client Team, Chamber and Participation Team, and more! By completing this module, you’ll begin to see just how enriching and diverse a career at UK Parliament can be. We’ll provide an overview of the careers on offer within these different teams, and you’ll explore the necessary skills to land a role.

We’ll take a look at careers in UK Parliament, including those in the Parliamentary Digital Service Team, the Parliamentary Security Department, and the Finance, Portfolio, and Performance Team. You’ll get a real feel for what a career in UK Parliament is really like—it's not all about legislation and policy-making! We’ll highlight career opportunities plus identify the key skills needed to flourish in the teams mentioned throughout this module.

We’ll take a final look at careersin UK Parliament asyou’ll learn about the People and Culture Team and explore how they support colleagues acrossParliament through HR policies, learning and training opportunities and career pathways. You’ll also meet the institution’s apprentices, learn about their roles, and find out how they landed an early career opportunity at the organisation. If an apprenticeship at UK Parliament sounds exciting, you’re in luck! We’ll also share the application process, plus any hints and tips for applying.

You might be thinking that a career in UK Parliament feels right for you! You will learn exactly which skills you’ll need to flourish. You’ll dive into teamwork, problem-solving, communication, and more! After a whistle-stop tour through employability skills, you’ll complete your final activity, a self-evaluation designed to help you recognise where your strengths and weaknesses lie so you know what skills to build on for a successful career!

Sorry there are no available dates for this programme. You can see available programmes here.

Hear from our student community

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Aqsa Saleemi, Year 12 Student

Thank you for all your time and effort. The program was by far the best experience I’ve had virtually compared to other virtual experiences I’ve done. I liked the layout and the interactive activities, and I learnt a lot I didn’t know. I would definitely recommend this program to others; it was a great experience I would love to do it all again.

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Sophia Nathwani, Year 11 Student, from Hampton

I enjoyed understanding the many professions and areas within journalism that I had not been able to clearly separate prior to this programme; I particularly enjoyed the photojournalism and broadcast journalism sections, as they allowed me to explore a less conventional writing style than what I would normally use. The interactive tasks were a great way for me to demonstrate and put into practice my new knowledge, and all of the videos were extremely concise and helpful.

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Stephanie Oseha, Year 12 Student

A huge thank you to everyone who made this programme possible. It was a fantastic experience, and I feel more confident in myself now when applying for a job position in the future and in my personal life. I valued this experience because I realised it was okay to make mistakes and how they make you stronger for future events. I loved how efficient the Barclays team was when students and the professionals who ran the live webinars asked questions. The skills I've learnt through this virtual work experience will be used for future endeavours. So once again, thank you so much.

Frequently asked questions

When will I hear back if I have been successful with my application?

Once you have applied for your programme, you will receive a confirmation email. You will be notified about the outcome of your application via email at least 3 days before the programme start date. Good luck!

Can I apply to multiple programmes?

Yes, you can sign up to multiple programmes with us. The live talks will be available as recordings, so you can catch up on any potential clashes.

Who can take part in the programme? (Age limits, some programmes have location constraints but most don’t etc.)

Most of our programmes require students to be in school/college. Some programmes require students to be based in specific regions of the UK, this is stipulated by the organisations themselves, and is not defined by Springpod.

However, the ages mentioned on our programmes are more of a guideline than a strict limit. As such, we more than welcome older students to apply as well!

How long does it take for assignments to be reviewed?

Assignments can take up to a week or longer to review and be marked complete. Rest assured, it will be reviewed soon and your certificate will be generated once your programme has been marked as complete.

What do I do if I upload the wrong file?

If you make a mistake when uploading a file, please email hello@springpod.com. We will be able to make a note on our system. Don’t worry, the outcome of your programme will not be affected by this.

How long will I have to complete this programme?

There is no specific cut-off deadline for completing your programme (although, if possible, we would encourage you to complete all the work within the time frame, alongside the live webinar sessions).

When does the programme start?

Our programmes have various start dates, you can find the exact date on the programme website page. These are available here: https://www.springpod.com/virtual-work-experience/search

You will be notified if your application has been successful, 3 days before the programme start date.

What happens if I can't finish the work experience in time?

All programme material will remain accessible after the end date of the programme. Students can continue to work through their programme after the official end date. Although, if possible, we would strongly encourage students to complete all the work within the time frame, alongside the live webinar sessions.

How much work is required for these programmes? (Will I be able/should I complete more than one programme at a time)?

There is around 10 hours worth of work in total, spread across a two week period. The live talks will be available as recordings, so you can catch up on any work whenever possible.

When do the programmes run? (programme structure etc.)

Once you have access, you can view and complete the material as and when you can, within the time frame of the course in question (for example, within a two week period). In total, there is around 10 hours worth of work. The live talks will take place during weekday working hours. However, all live talks will be available as recordings and the courses can be completed at your own convenience. . There is no specific cut-off deadline for completing your programme (although, if possible, we would encourage you to complete all the work within the time frame, alongside the live webinar sessions).

What happens if I can't make a live talk/webinar?

All live talks will be available as recordings. You can access these at the same link used to access the live event. So don’t worry if you can’t attend a live webinar, a recording will be available for you to access through your programme within 24 hours of the live event finishing.

What software is required for the live talks?

We use a piece of software called BigMarker. It is a cloud based video hosting software. It requires no installations or downloads on your end, and will provide everything you need to join the live webinars through one simple link.

Will I be able to ask questions/do I have to have my microphone on?

You will have a chance to ask questions at the end of each webinar. These questions are typed out and then read to the presenter by the host of the live talk. There is no need to speak, and all student microphones will be muted for the duration of the live webinar.

Do you offer in-person work experience?
We don't directly manage in person work experience but many of our virtual programmes can lead to in person opportunities, look for the programmes marked as 'Virtual to Reality'. You will need to complete the virtual programme and declare your interest via the embedded form.
When will I hear if there is an in-person opportunity?
Our employer partner will contact you directly about any opportunities, timescales can vary Springpod won't be able to provide any updates on progress.

Ready to find out if this career is right for you?

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Pathways to Parliament: UK Parliament Work Experience

Kickstart your future

This programme is open to anyone aged 14-18 living in the United Kingdom

Certificate of completion

Over 7 hours worth of content

Introduction to Parliament

Parliament Careers (Part One)

Parliament Careers (Part Two)

Parliament Careers (Part Three)

Career Pathways

Employability Skills

Sorry there are no available dates for this programme. You can see available programmes here.

Hear from our student community

Aqsa Saleemi, Year 12 Student

Wilfred Williams, Year 12 Student from London

Sophia Nathwani, Year 11 Student, from Hampton

Ellinor Comard, Year 12 Student from Teddington

Stephanie Oseha, Year 12 Student

Jack Zhou, Year 12 Student from Kingston upon Thames

Frequently asked questions

I have a question about my application or programme eligibility

I have a question about my assignment

I have a question about the programme dates, deadline or workload

I have a question about the live talks

I have a question about the certificate

I have a question about in-person work experience

I want to delete my account

Ready to find out if this career is right for you?