Almost nine in 10 said they enjoyed the experience but more than six in 10 felt that it hadn't helped them decide on a particular career. The majority did not get much preparation: almost two-thirds did not receive a schedule of what they would be doing and only half got an information pack about the organisation in advance.
More than six in 10 did not have any goals or learning objectives set as part of the experience. When it came to the nature of the work almost seven in 10 did not attend a meeting and about four in 10 did not deal with customers, work with computers or carry out number-based tasks.
Richard Lambert, director-general of the CBI, says: "Radical steps may have to be taken to ensure more young people are able to develop the skills they and the economy need for the future."
