A social mobility charity is launching a virtual work experience programme for young people in Oxfordshire.

The Speakers for Schools programme is part of a £2 million initiative, supported by The Careers and Enterprise Company, designed to transform work experience for state-educated 13-14-year-olds.

Skill-shortage vacancies in the South East have more than doubled since 2019, going from 33,502 to 77,547.

Virtual work experience can assist young people in rural or coastal communities who often have limited access to employers due to geographical constraints.

The programme will overcome these barriers and connect young people with employers like Network Rail and Modern Art Oxford, among others.

Approximately 600 state schools across England will have access to this programme, targeting 7,000 students and providing opportunities for real-life projects and feedback.

Nick Brook, CEO, Speakers for Schools said: "Talent is spread evenly across the country, but opportunity is not.

"We believe that high-quality work experience should be a right, not a privilege, for state-education children.

"Access to potential future employers should never be dependent upon who mum and dad know, or where you live.

"By delivering virtual work experience placements in rural and coastal communities, we remove the barrier of geography or expensive travel."

A 2023 report prepared by the Social Market Foundation estimated the annual cost of delivering two work experience opportunities per state-school student at £75m, only 0.1 per cent of the 2022 school budget.