From Insight to Opportunity: How an Industry Experience Day with MM Flowers Opened Doors for Young People
For many young people, understanding what jobs exist – and what it’s really like to work in a particular industry – can be one of the biggest barriers to taking that first step into employment.
That’s where Industry Experience Days come in.
As part of the Ignite Into Industry programme, funded through the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) Trailblazer as part of the UK Government’s Youth Guarantee, Inspire 2 Ignite partnered with MM Flowers to deliver an Industry Experience Day designed to give young people meaningful, hands-on exposure to the workplace and real progression opportunities.
A real workplace, real experience
MM Flowers welcomed eight young people to their site for a carefully designed Industry Experience Day that went far beyond a traditional tour or presentation.
The day combined:
An introduction to MM Flowers, their operations, and the range of roles within the business
Guided site tours across key areas of the organisation
Practical, activity-led sessions that allowed young people to engage with real workplace tasks and environments
Structured conversations with staff about skills, expectations, and progression routes
Facilitated reflection points where young people could ask questions, discuss what they had observed, and consider how their own interests and strengths aligned with different roles
This balance of insight, interaction and reflection helped young people build confidence, understand employer expectations, and gain a realistic picture of working life within the sector.
Progression opportunities identified
One of the strengths of Industry Experience Days is that they allow both employers and young people to assess fit in a real-world setting.
Following the experience day:
2 of the participants were identified as suitable for progression into 12-week paid internships
The remaining 6 participants were identified as suitable for progression into permanent roles with MM Flowers
These opportunities have been formally offered by MM Flowers and are currently under consideration by the young people, with follow-up conversations and onboarding processes underway.
Why Industry Experience Days work
For young people, Industry Experience Days:
Demystify the workplace
Build confidence through hands-on exposure
Provide clarity about next steps and progression options
For employers, they offer:
A practical alternative to traditional recruitment methods
The opportunity to engage young people early in a meaningful way
A chance to identify potential talent based on attitude, engagement and potential – not just CVs
As demonstrated by MM Flowers, Industry Experience Days can play a powerful role in connecting young people to real opportunities while supporting employers to build their future workforce.
Looking ahead
This experience highlights how short, well-structured industry engagement can create real momentum, turning curiosity into confidence and insight into opportunity.
At Inspire 2 Ignite, we continue to work with employers across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to deliver Industry Experience Days that don’t just inspire, but actively support young people into employment, internships and sustained progression.
