Here you will find part-time jobs, volunteering opportunities, virtual insight days and careers fairs. We ask students and their parents to research fully any opportunities advertised on the noticeboard to ensure they are happy with the organisation they are linking with and its value for money if there is a cost.
Notices & Key Dates
Work Experience Week – w/c Monday 8th June 2026 – Year 12 students undertake a compulsory week of work experience to give a greater understanding of the world of work in their chosen area and help build links for future employment opportunities. The school will help where possible, but ultimately it is down to students themselves to organise their placement. For more advice on work experience take a look at this UniFrog Guide.
Featured Opportunities
Find 3-5-day in-person and virtual work experience placements and 3-5-hour introductory Insight Days with leading UK employers. Try searching for keywords such as opportunity type, location or employer name or click on filters to refine your search by placement type, industry or date range.
Students wishing to attend should complete a Unifrog request and email sixthform@qehs.net for permission to miss lessons if it is in school time.
Upcoming Opportunities
STEM
Virtual Work Experience
Age 9+
STEMFest 2025 – Vertu Motors Arena – Wednesday 8th October, 3pm – 5pm
The event will involve around 60 local companies delivering activities, showcasing the wide range of careers and job roles available in STEM sectors in the region. Businesses are invited to deliver fun, interactive sessions relating to their industry.
Law
Virtual Work Experience
Yr 13
Browne Jacobson Virtual Law Work Experience Faire Programme – Tuesday 18th October, 9 am – 4:15 pm
This is a fantastic opportunity for students to significantly increase their legal career prospects by getting an insight into the legal profession and hearing from the incredible, exclusive speakers. In particular, Barbara Mills KC, Chair of The Bar Council and Deputy High Court Judge, Caroline Green, Senior Partner at leading law firm Browne Jacobson, Ellie Reeves MP (Rachel Reeves’ sister…) and Solicitor General for England and Wales, as well as a whole host of other top legal professionals who will share their insights.
This free event is open to all students at school, college, or university looking to pursue a career in law.
STEM
Work Placement
Yr 13
EDT – Placement Open Day Webinar, Wednesday 5th November 2025
We help place students into top UK companies and organisations every year as well as SMEs and start up R&D companies, giving students the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge and experience of working in all areas of engineering, science (particularly physics), technology/electronics, business, marketing and finance across the UK.
We are currently taking applications from students interested in placement opportunities for the academic year 25/26. Most of the vacancies are for 12 month placements and will start in July, August or September 2025.
If you have any questions about the placements scheme please email us at EDTPlacements@etrust.org.uk
Join our next Placements Open Day webinar via Teams;
Date: Wednesday 5th November 2025
Time: 4pm – 5pm
Register for this webinar (zoom registration form)
Audit, Tax & Consulting
Event
Year 11 – 13
RSM Early Careers Insight Event – Thursday 6th November 2025, 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm
The event is aimed at students who are considering a career in audit, tax or consulting and is intended to be an informal opportunity to find out more about options in these areas.
RSM is a professional services firm with a large office in the centre of Newcastle, recruiting graduate trainees and school leaver apprenticeships into audit, consulting and tax each year.
Arts Sector
Volunteering
Age 18+
Novo Threatre & Live Threatre
Novo Theatre – Volunteer Stewards: Salt & Smoke; Stories of Blyth. Volunteering with Novo Theatre can improve your confidence or simply provide a fun and new experience.
Live Theatre’s volunteers are an incredible group of people who give a wealth of energy and enthusiasm to the work of the theatre. Volunteer roles are varied and available in Live Tales, our children and young people’s writing centre, and in other areas of Live Theatre’s work. They include supporting and encouraging children and young people to write, illustrating their stories, or leading tours of our buildings.
Creative Industry
Virtual Work Experience
Age 14+
Channel 4 – 4Skills Work Experience Progamme
Build 3 key skills with Channel 4 – Confidence, Audience Awareness, and Industry Awareness.
In this programme you will be introduced to real careers and real people as you learn more about what goes into the thriving creative industry that you see around you. You’ll be set real world challenges, discover what could be your creative career match and get insider information from current Channel 4 Employees on what makes for a successful creative career.
This course runs until Friday 19th December 2025.
Find out more and register (4skills Work Experience Website)
Fire Cadet
Youth Programme
Age 13 – 17
Northumberland Fire and Rescue
Fire cadets is an exciting youth programme for young people in Northumberland, offering real firefighters experiences, life skills, and even the chance to earn a qualification.
Exploring
Summer Experience/Gap Year
Yrs 12 & 13
British Exploration Society
Our programmes will help you access some of the most remote and challenging parts of the world. Please note you must either be a British citizen or UK resident and aged 14-25 to join our programmes.
The programmes are means-tested with fundraising targets.
Medical & Dental
Virtual Work Experience
Age 14+
University Hospitals Birmingham: Medical & Dental Mentor
Gaining valuable work experience is a must-have for medical and dental applications, and we understand the challenges you may face while finding the right placement. Luckily, medical and dental schools have accepted Virtual Work Experience as a valuable alternative to in-person shadowing, and can play a significant role in preparing students for their in-person work placements through structured teaching and opportunities to speak directly with healthcare professionals.
Observe a GP
Virtual Work Experience
Yrs 12 & 13
Royal College of General Practitioners
Observe GP is an alternative to work experience for aspiring medics aged 16 and over, who are living in the UK. It is a free interactive video platform providing insights into the role of a GP and the wider care team.
Medical School
Virtual Work Experience
Yrs 12 & 13
Brighton and Sussex Medical School
Brighton and Sussex Medical School course provides virtual work experience for those looking to apply to medical school.
Local Work and Voluntary Opportunities
Gymnastics Coaching
Work Experience
Years 12 & 13
Full of Beans – Hexham Community Sports Hub
Full of Beans delivers basic gymnastics at Hexham Community Sports Hub ( Main Sports Hall at QEHS ) on Saturday mornings from 9am to 12 midday.
They are looking for for 6th-formers who do sports or specifically gymnastics, to assist our qualified gymnastic coaches. This will either be volunteering or in some cases, getting paid a wage.
For more information, contact John Paul Reay
Media Communications
Volunteer/Work Experience
Year 12 & 13
Tynedale Hospice at Home – Social Media Volunteer
Social Media volunteering hours and location are flexible. You will work closely with our Engagement and Communications Officer who will offer full training, help manage your volunteer time and is responsible for ensuring the running of our media accounts.
We ask for volunteers to commit to at least 4 hours per week. We can be flexible in terms of what day(s) these will be to fit around your lifestyle. This is an ideal role to enhance knowledge for future careers.
To find out more contact Sarah Brunskill, volunteering@tynedalehospice.com
Youth Work
Voluntary opportunity
Yr 12 & 13
Hexham Youth Initiative
Volunteers give their time, effort and skills to make a difference to young people. At Hexham Youth Initiative we are always keen to welcome new volunteers to our team. Whether you are able to give hours, days or weeks… it all helps.
Local Council
Work Experience
Yr 12
Northumberland County Council
Students who are interested in work experience with NCC, which is planned to run across different sectors of the council, should complete the following Application Form(8 weeks’ notice is required for placements).
Local Contacts
Healthcare (including Medicine)
For work experience within hospitals you must apply to the NHS organisation in your home area (postcode dependent). Use the relevant information here:
https://hee.nhs.uk/hee-your-area/north-east/education-training/trust-work-experience
This page is helpful but some of the information can be out of date! For specific opportunities also look at:
- If you live in Northumberland, please complete this form (Microsoft Word Document) and then email Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust at workexperience@northumbria.nhs.uk
- Northumberland Tyne & Wear Foundation Trust work experience is currently on hold but keep checking their website for updates.
- County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust – details at https://www.cddft.nhs.uk/working-for-us/work-experience-(15-to-18-year-olds-in-full-time-education-or-training).aspx
For work experience within a GP practice look at: https://www.hee.nhs.uk/hee-your-area/north-east/education-training/doctors/recruitment/primary-care/medical-school-work-experience-general-practice
This includes a list of GP practices prepared to offer work experience to students not in their area.
It is recommended that you get additional work experience to demonstrate your interest and ability to work with and care for vulnerable adults and children. You may find some useful local contacts by searching: http://www.carehome.co.uk/care_search_results.cfm/searchregion/North-East-England
Working with Children (including Teaching)
Again to gain access to a teaching degree course and many childcare related courses you will be asked to demonstrate experience of the classroom and / or work with children. Most schools are very helpful about this so you need to contact the Head Teacher initially with a request. The following information should help you:
http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/Education/Schools/Contact.aspx
https://www.newcastle.gov.uk/education-and-learning/find-a-school-or-academy
http://www.durham.gov.uk/schools
https://www.gateshead.gov.uk/article/2783/School-directory
https://northumberland.fsd.org.uk/kb5/northumberland/fsd/family.page?familychannel=1
Heritage, Culture and Literature
Tyne & Wear Museums: https://twmuseums.org.uk/volunteers/school-work-experience
National Trust: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/work-experience
English Heritage: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/volunteer/about-volunteering/
Theatre Royal: contact Kim.hoffman@theatreroyal.co.uk
The Glasshouse International: https://theglasshouseicm.org/
Seven Stories – The National Centre for Children’s Books: Offer work experience during holidays and weekends only.
Contact: Jayne Nicholson, Operations Manager (0300 3301095 ext 303/201) Jayne.nicholson@sevenstories.org.uk
The Lit and Phil – the largest independent library outside London housing over 160,000 books (23 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE).
Contact: Kay Easson (Head Librarian) email: keasson@litandphil.org.uk (0191 2320192)
Cogito Books (5 St Mary’s Chare, Hexham, NE46 1NQ)
Contact: Claire Grint (01434) 602555 – happy to take students but looking for engaging interested students only. Please contact by telephone initially.
Waterstones bookstores: contact each Store Manager directly
Hexham Courant: the Courant do not offer work experience
Beamish Museum: follow the instructions at http://www.beamish.org.uk/get-involved/work-placement/
Environmental, Tourism, Ecology, Archaeology
Northumberland National Park: Apply in writing by emailing dave.richardson@nnpa.org.uk (put “work experience” in the subject line)
Northumberland County Council: may have some relevant opportunities (libraries, tourist information, ask them about conservation work too). Fill in the application form and once NCC receive the form they will make a decision as to whether a placement is available in your chosen department.
Visit here to find out more about Northumberland County Council Work Experience
Newcastle University: School of History, Classics & Archaeology. Contact Dr Jane Webster (0191) 2087575 or email: jane.webster@ncl.ac.uk
Engineering and Manufacturing
Egger UK Ltd.: Egger will offer placements in all their departments (not only engineering) so get in quick if you would like to look at Finance, HR, Marketing, IT, etc… Send your request initially to Philip Maloney (Recruitment Co-ordinator) email: philip.maloney@egger.com
Vattenfall Wind Power:
Vattenfall, a Swedish company head-quartered in Stockholm, is one of Europe’s largest producers of electricity and low-carbon heating with operations across northern Europe. Vattenfall has had an office in Hexham employing nearly 100 staff for the past 14 years. They are offering a number of students the opportunity to work with them for a week to look at a broad range of roles in the vibrant and growing renewable energy sector – from civil and electrical engineers and wind farm technicians, through to ecological and environmental analysis, project management, communications, and law. Students will have the opportunity to learn from a number of Vattenfall employees about jobs and routes into the renewable energy sector, have a guided tour of our Ray onshore wind farm near Otterburn, and work together to design their own wind farm. They are passionate about diversity and creating a progressive and inclusive workforce. Please email Louise Housecroft with a CV and short statement expressing interest – Louise.Housecroft@vattenfall.com
Veterinary Studies
Scott Mitchell Associates Veterinary Surgeons (Tyne Green, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3SG, www.vets1.com) require a CV from the student wishing to undertake the placement and details of when they would be looking to carry out the work experience.Contact: 01434 608999, farm@vets1.com