Virtual Work Experience – Part two: More innovative provider offerings

Valeriya will share details of the Uptree Online Student Platform, live webinars and assembly videos as well as other resources to support teachers and advisers. Uptree offers half and full day Virtual Insight Events designed to be flexible and impactful. In addition Uptree provides some in-person events which Valeriya will also explain. Uptree’s mission is to see employers everywhere offer unique experiences of work to demystify careers and help students transition from education to employment.  They aim to leverage digital content and strategic outreach initiatives to help schools and colleges build strong connections with employers across the country.

Harrison’s session will provide attendees with insight into best practices for scaling access to project-based learning and career development through career programming and faculty engagement. During this session, Harrison Bass, Forage’s Head of Educational Partnerships, will also provide attendees with an overview of Forage’s free, experiential learning platform from both the student and the educator perspective. Attendees of this session will learn best practices for implementation of Forage’s free job simulations into the curriculum and will be provided with the resources needed to scale access to Forage’s resources to all students. 

Kate will introduce Unifrog’s recent Virtual Work Experience Week, which so far has given almost 50,000 students the chance to complete real tasks set by high profile employers like the NHS, British Army and EDF. She’ll explain how each day combined live webinars with structured, accessible tasks built by experienced teachers, and how the format supports Gatsby Benchmarks 5 and 6. Kate will share examples of student tasks and highlight how the programme has helped make high-quality career experiences more inclusive and widely accessible, drawing on student participation data and feedback.
 
Valeriya Kurova
Outreach and Delivery Manager at Uptree
Valeriya Kurova is the Outreach and Delivery Manager at Uptree, where she oversees relationships with over 100 schools across various regions in the UK. In her role, Valeriya is responsible for delivering impactful careers education resources and events, helping students navigate their career paths and access valuable opportunities. She is a strong advocate for equal opportunities and works tirelessly to promote inclusive education and career development for all students.
 
Harrison Bass
Harrison is the Head of Educational Partnerships for Forage
Forage is the free online library of employer-provided job simulations. In his role, he strives to offer guidance and support for educators, as they look to integrate Forage into their curriculum and career programming. Harrison has close to ten years of experience working in the workforce development and experiential learning space.

Kate Garlick 
Head of Content at Unifrog
Kate leads the team behind the platform’s online courses, teaching resources, videos, and written guides. A former secondary school teacher and Head of English, Kate brings classroom experience and a strong focus on teaching and learning principles to her work. She works closely with employer and higher education partners, while also ensuring Unifrog’s content aligns with key frameworks and guidance from organisations such as the PSHE Association, ISCA, the CDI, and the Gatsby Benchmarks. Her work supports high-quality, inclusive provision in careers education, PSHE, and SEL; helping students everywhere take confident, well-informed next steps.