Paid placements for graduates and early career professionals. No nepotism. All paid at London Living Wage.
We connect businesses with pre-screened, work-ready early-career talent from all backgrounds. Not based on who they know. Based on what they can do.
Young people are arriving in the workplace without the basics. And brilliant candidates are being overlooked not because they lack ability but because they lack connections.
At the same time, hiring is getting more expensive and more of a commitment. We built Fledgling Work to fix both sides of that problem.
We actively source Fledglings through our partnerships with UK charities, community organisations and universities with high proportions of students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. 83%* of our talent comes from underrepresented backgrounds. We track it, we report on it and we hold ourselves to it.
Your Fledgling works with you four days a week on a day rate basis. Before they start, they complete our mandatory pre-placement programme, Fledgling Flight School, so they arrive ready to contribute from day one.
We handle sourcing, screening, contracts and payment. All Fledglings are paid at London Living Wage as a minimum. If you decide to bring them on permanently, a conversion fee of £1,500 applies.
Day rate model
Your Fledgling works with you four days a week and spends a fifth session in our extended training programme. They are building skills in real time throughout the placement and growing as they go.
Day rate plus an additional programme fee applies per Fledgling. If you decide to bring them on permanently, a conversion fee of £1,500 applies.
Day rate + training
You take your Fledgling on directly, on your own payroll or a fixed-term contract, on whatever schedule works for you. You pay them and manage them. We match you, screen them and make sure they are ready before they start.
A one-off match fee applies. If you decide to bring them on permanently, a conversion fee of £1,500 applies.
Match fee model
Every Fledgling completes our Flight School before their placement begins. It is a mandatory pre-placement programme that covers the professional foundations employers tell us they expect but rarely get: communication, workplace practice and the skills that make someone genuinely useful from day one.
Flight School is not optional.
It is how we make sure that when your Fledgling walks through the door, they are already ready to be there
Role type, duration and your DEI targets if you have them. We will help you shape it if you are not sure.
We interview every Fledgling and set relevant tasks. You only see people who've already proved themselves.
We share task outputs so you're judging capability, not a CV.
A small, curated group. You choose who to bring in.
We stay close throughout. Support for you and your Fledgling for the full duration.
Role type, duration, and what good looks like. We'll help you shape it if you're not sure.
We interview every Fledgling and set relevant tasks. You only see people who've already proved themselves.
We share task outputs so you're judging capability, not a CV.
A small, curated group. You choose who to bring in.
We stay close throughout. Support for you and your Fledgling.
We actively source Fledglings from underrepresented backgrounds across a wide range of lived experiences, including:
First generation to university
Free school meals
Refugees and asylum seekers
Care leavers
Black, Asian & mixed heritage
Disabled
Neurodivergent
LGBTQ+
Ex-offenders
Lower socio-economic backgrounds
Single parent households
Rural & coastal communities
We go beyond CVs. Every Fledgling is interviewed and given a real task before you ever see them, so what you are assessing is what someone can actually do, not how well they have formatted their work history. The most capable candidates are not always the most polished, and we know how to find the ones who will show up and do the work.
Every assessment involves a real conversation with our team. We believe in human screening, and we want to understand who someone is and what they are genuinely ready for. That means we can tell you things about a candidate that no application form will.
Every placement is paid at London Living Wage as a minimum, with no exceptions. Unpaid experience is one of the biggest barriers to inclusion, and we are not part of that.
83%* of our Fledglings come from underrepresented backgrounds. That is not a byproduct of the work we do. It is what we are here for. We track it, we report on it and we hold ourselves to it. Which means when you work with us, you are not just filling a role. You are actively building a more inclusive workforce.
Fledgling Work works for businesses of all sizes, across any industry. Whether you're a small independent or a large organisation with an established early careers programme, we shape something that fits.
The minimum placement length is one month, which can be part time. There is no maximum. You can bring in a Fledgling for a focused short-term piece of work or build something longer that grows over time.
Short-term support A month or two of focused help during a busy period, for a specific project, or to cover a gap.
Ongoing embedded support.A few months where someone gets properly embedded. They learn how you work. You see what they are capable of.
Development placement. A longer commitment with a genuine pathway. Often the beginning of something permanent.
And not every business needs a graduate.
We also run structured work experience placements for 16 to 21 year olds, including school leavers and those taking a non-traditional route into work. One to two weeks, paid, with real tasks and real feedback.It is where a lot of our Fledglings get their start. And for many businesses it is the most effective way to spot talent before anyone else does.
School leavers: For 16 to 18 year olds stepping into work for the first time. Structured, supported and paid.
Non-traditional routes: Capable people who have not followed the degree path. What matters is motivation and readiness, not the route they took.
Transparent pricing
per Fledgling match
Sourcing, interviewing, task-setting, shortlisting and matching you with the right person. You pay your Fledgling directly at an agreed rate on top of that.
If you want to bring someone on permanently, we charge a small conversion fee of £1500.
*83% of Fledglings come from underrepresented backgrounds. As of September 2026, tracked quarterly.
**1 in 10 figure: The Sutton Trust, "Unpaid and Underpaid Internships" (2025)
© 2026 Fledgling Work
Company number: 17314126
Registered in England and Wales.
Fledgling Work Ltd, 23 Patterson Road, SE19 2LE