IChemE inspires nearly 7,000 young people through new Virtual Work Experience programme
12th February 2026
In September 2024, the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) partnered with Springpod to launch a Virtual Work Experience (VWEX) programme designed to spark interest in chemical engineering among school and college students.
The online programme helps participants explore common misconceptions about the profession, take part in quizzes and activities, and gives participants the opportunity to chat to practising chemical engineers via the Ambassador platform. Participants also tackle a real-world challenge through a bespoke mini project, or ‘sprint’, created by a process engineer working in the energy sector.
The initiative has received exceptional support from IChemE members across a wide range of industries. We are incredibly grateful to the 50+ engineers who have contributed by submitting case studies and videos, being filmed for webinars, or volunteering as Ambassadors.
To date, over 6,700 young people from 1,751 schools and education institutions have enrolled in the programme. Participants spend an average of 3.4 hours engaging with the content and have awarded it an overall rating of more than 8 out of 10.
The programme is reaching a diverse audience, with 44% of participants identifying as female ,31% from ethnic minority backgrounds and 25% who are the first member of their family likely to go to University. Between September 2025 and January 2026 alone, 1,205 students enrolled in the programme.
“Being an ambassador for IChemE’s virtual work experience programme has been a fantastic opportunity, and I’ve genuinely enjoyed every moment. It’s been inspiring to see young people engage so enthusiastically with chemical engineering, and I’m confident that experiences like this will encourage even more of them to explore the exciting possibilities our profession offers.”
— Cleo Parker, Chair of the National Early Careers Group
Learners consistently praised the opportunity to discover the range of sectors where chemical engineers make an impact, including energy, water, pharmaceuticals, food, sustainability and more. Many described the programme as “eye-opening” for revealing the versatility of chemical engineering degrees and the variety of career paths available.
One participant shared: “It has truly sparked my interest in further pursuing chemical engineering at university. It gave me valuable insight into the different fields and exciting career paths available.”
Another added: “After this course, I am completely sure that chemical engineering is a career I want to pursue – it has inspired me and helped shape my future goals.”
Jo Badge, IChemE’s Head of Young People’s and Student Engagement, said: “The Virtual Work Experience programme is a fantastic opportunity for young people to get to explore the breadth of careers in different industries in chemical and process engineering. It is encouraging to see a diverse range of young people finding real value in the programme, to the point that Admissions Tutors are reporting that it is being referenced in personal statements for undergraduate university applications.”
Aligned to this, UCAS applications to ChemEng courses in 2025 increased by 16% overall. The trend of an increase in applications from females has continued, in line with overall applications increasing 15%. Since 2022, applications have increased by a total of 47% - some of which can be attributed to our young people's engagement activity.
What is chemical engineering?
Chemical, biochemical and process engineering is the application of science, mathematics and economics in the process of turning raw materials into everyday, and more specialist, products. Professional chemical engineers design, construct and manage process operations all over the world. Energy, pharmaceuticals, food and drink, synthetic fibres and clean drinking water are just some of the industry sectors and products where chemical engineering plays a central role.
IChemE
The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) advances chemical engineering's contribution for the benefit of society. We facilitate the development of chemical engineering professionals and provide connections to a powerful network of around 32,000 members in more than 100 countries.
We support our members in applying their expertise and experience to make an influential contribution to solving major global challenges, and are the only organisation permitted to award Chartered Chemical Engineer status and Professional Process Safety Engineer registration.