Our work experience programme is now open for the academic year 2025/26. If you are enquiring about a placement at either our London or our Midlands site, please email workexperience@rafmuseum.org and request a work experience enquiry form.
As part of our Inspiring People Strategy, we are implementing a robust and productive programme to support student development and further opportunity within our local communities.
As we actively develop this offer, we are have implemented a programme across both our Midlands and London sites, which gives an insight into careers within museums.
Please note – demand is extremely high and we can only take on a certain amount of participants, so we do recommend enquiring elsewhere whilst you wait for a response.
If you are under 16 years of age, the RAF Museum require parent/guardian consent to hold your details on file. Without this, we cannot discuss a work experience placement with you. Before you enquire, please make sure you have obtained consent – or email from a parent/guardians email address.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can email us at workexperience@rafmuseum.org for any questions or queries or to request a work experience enquiry form.
What does a typical placement look like?
To ensure students have a fulfilling placement, we try to put them with a different department each day.
This includes working with departments such as Visitor Experience, Retail, Learning and Engagement, Exhibitions and Interpretation, Public Events, Development and much more. By doing this, students get a rounded and robust experience of the museum – and may even learn about careers that they’d not previously considered!
I have applied but haven’t heard back if I have been accepted. What should I do?
If you have completed an application form, we are currently processing your request.
It can take a while for us to confirm a placement, as our departments have lots of competing priorities so they need to ensure they can set aside the time to support a placement!
We endeavour to let you know as soon as possible if we can accommodate your request – and will try and give as much notice as we can if for any reason we can’t.
I want to join the RAF – is this work experience programme suitable for me?
Our work experience programme is only able to offer experience working within the Museum. Although we are the Royal Air Force’s Museum we are unable to offer work experience within the RAF or any part of the Ministry of Defence.
If you would like to gain experience of what it would be like to be a member of the Royal Air Force, we would suggest contacting your local RAF Cadets branch and becoming a member.
Do you offer placements for Duke of Edinburgh and similar award schemes?
Currently, our Volunteering policy states that we can only take volunteers above the age of 18.
We are actively looking into developing an offer for young people that need to complete a volunteering commitment to achieve an extra-curricular award.
Absolutely! Our work experience programme is designed to be accessible and inclusive to everyone.
When you enquire, let us know about any additional requirements or ways that we can adapt the programme to suit you and we will be happy to help!
I am looking for a long-term placement – is this something you can support?
The Museum is keen to support students in whichever way we can. If you are looking for a longer-term placement, please get in touch and we will see what we can do!
I don’t live locally to either site. Can you offer virtual work experience?
We currently offer virtual work experience opportunities through our partner – Speakers for Schools.
You can find out more here: https://www.speakersforschools.org/
We are also looking to develop an internal virtual work experience option for individuals that may like to take part too!
Testimonials
I loved every moment. The team was so good and helped me with anything I needed.
Thank you so much for the experience, I massively enjoyed it and miss the museum already!
I am glad to say that not only was it a fun week but also beneficial to me, as it has shown me pathways that I may choose to follow in the future and taught me skills I will never forget.
If I could work there now, I would do it in a heartbeat!
We are proud to be a Speakers for Schools Social Mobility Partner.We are partnering with Speakers for Schools, the UK’s leading social mobility charity, in our shared mission to close the opportunity gap and level-up the workplace on socioeconomic diversity – opening doors to career opportunities that were previously closed by supporting fully funded life-changing work experience for students from state schools and colleges across the country.
Ready to take action on social mobility? Your organisation can get started here.
