What is Springpod?
Springpod is an online platform offering virtual experiences designed to inspire, inform, and empower young people. This guide will show you how the platform works, what it offers, and how your student can use experiences to explore their interests, build confidence, and make informed decisions about their future.
Springpod is a free careers platform dedicated to preparing young people for the world of work and next steps. In this guide, we aim to explain how young people can explore career opportunities through a variety of activities. Virtual experiences play a key role in helping them learn about the world of work and career pathways, and we’re excited to show how these opportunities can support their career exploration and decision-making.
Working with your local Careers Hub, we have created a hub for you and your students to explore opportunities in your region.
We are committed to offering experiences that complement in-person opportunities. We recognise the importance of providing your student with a range of experiences to support their career decisions. Young people need multiple avenues to explore the world of work, which is why we believe a hybrid approach - blending virtual and in-person experiences - provides many more valuable opportunities to gain insight and make informed choices about their future.
Why should there be a virtual option for work experience?
Your student may encounter challenges when trying to secure an in-person work experience placement, whether due to location, limited opportunities, or other factors. Virtual work experience removes these barriers, opening up access to opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach.
All young people deserve the chance to connect with leading employers. Springpod acts as a gateway, connecting students with top employers and offering valuable insights that inspire ambition and growth.
For some students, anxiety or a lack of readiness to attend in-person placements can be a significant barrier. Virtual experiences through Springpod provide a risk-free way for them to explore different careers, build confidence, and try something new in a supportive, accessible environment.
What do we want young people to learn by taking part in Springpod experiences?
- To explore the wide range of career opportunities available to them.
- To broaden their horizons and discover the many possibilities for their future.
- To develop an understanding of various job roles and gain valuable insights through interactive tasks and activities.
- To encourage self-reflection, helping them recognise their skills and qualities and how these can connect to different career options.
- To build confidence in pursuing their career ambitions.
- To understand the importance of qualifications and subjects related to their career choices.
- To learn about the different pathway options that lead to their chosen career.
What is available on your local Careers Hub platform?
Students can find out more about:
- Your local Careers Hub and some Local Labour Market Information to help students on their careers exploration journey
- Key growth sectors. What industries are emerging and expanding in your area? What sectors are shaping future careers?
- Take part in online experiences with local employers to develop valuable skills and knowledge to support their career decision-making
- Find out more about your local employers and exciting career opportunities within these key growth sectors
- Each programme is self-led, and all progress is saved and can be tracked by the school or college.
- They can log-in anywhere and anytime
- Each programme is interactive, with tasks and activities which must be completed to gain a certificate. These tasks have been created in partnership with employers who want to provide useful insight into different career pathways.
How can my student get started?
Step 1: Students, go to the home page and select your local hub area
Step 2: Explore the site and pay special attention to the local Labour Market Information, the key growth sectors, and the local employer listings. Jot down any sectors or employers you’d like to gain experience with.
Step 3: Use the search function, or click on an experience to start the virtual programme and get a real taster of this sector and life with the employer.
Step 4: Follow the sign up instructions by filling in a few details to begin the experience.
Step 5: Your progress will be saved on any experience you are completing. Always go back to your hub and sign in to continue exploring. If your student has started an experience they can continue by finding the experience on their Springpod dashboard. Just sign in to their Springpod account and go to ‘My virtual Work Experience’
Step 6: Once the student has completed any experience within the hub, they can download their certificate
How can my student showcase these experiences on their University applications, CV, or LinkedIn profile (for students 16+)?
The questions we often get asked are, ‘Are these experiences worth it?’ ‘Do employers value these experiences?’
The quick answer is YES! Employers will be eager to understand the value your student has gained from participating in a Springpod programme. Encourage your student to clearly highlight the skills and knowledge they’ve developed, the tasks they undertook, and how these experiences have shaped and strengthened their career goals.
We always recommend that students go beyond simply listing their experiences - it's crucial to explain what they've learned! Instead of just naming the tasks completed, encourage your student to focus on the valuable skills, insights, and knowledge they've gained throughout the programme.
We hope your student finds their Springpod experience valuable. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Springpod at hello@springpod.com. We’re here to help!
