The Power of Collaboration in Opening Doors for Young People 

Ola Kolade, Employment and Skills Director at Business in the Community, reflects on employment and skills building initiatives for at Capita, Lloyds Banking Group and Heathrow Airport, and how all businesses can get involved to support opening doors for young people.

Only 1 in 8 employers have recruitment, training or retention strategies for young people under 25 years old.¹ The social and economic cost is troubling, particularly as we see the numbers of young people not in education or employment climbing up to nearly one million.  

As we mark Youth Employment Week, collaboration has never been more critical. That’s why Business in the Community (BITC) is proud to join forces with Youth Employment UK, CIPD, Youth Futures Foundation, Movement to Work and the Careers & Enterprise Company to make the business case for investing in young talent and to challenge employers to ‘do one thing’ to keep the talent pipeline flowing.  

Research shows that young people who have four or more meaningful encounters with the world of work during education are significantly less likely to become unemployed.² Yet for many young people across the UK, simply seeing themselves in work remains out of reach – a reminder that if they can’t see it, they are far less likely to be it. 

But we know there are still barriers.  New entry-level jobs have dropped by nearly a third in just two years, as AI adoption and increasing staff costs reshape the hiring landscape.³ Many entry-level roles demand prior experience, and job adverts often omit basic yet essential details like pay, working hours, or location, factors that disproportionately affect jobseekers aged 16 – 24.⁴

The good news? Some employers are leading the way. Through BITC’s Employment & Skills Leadership Team, we work with businesses that are unlocking the potential of early talent and experiencing the benefits first-hand.  

Capita’s Virtual Work Exposure and Employability programme

Capita is one such example. Their Virtual Work Exposure and Employability programme is helping young people across the UK understand the new world of work- one that is increasingly digital, flexible and skills focused.⁵ The programme identifies key skills and learning outcomes for the young people to achieve. Over the course of 3.5 interactive days, they gain first-hand insights into working for a virtual-first company, explore diverse career paths and learn about alternative pathways into work. 

Lloyds Banking Group‘s SkillsFest

Lloyds Banking Group is opening their doors by inviting young people and their parents for an immersive workplace experience called SkillsFest.⁶ The event is hosted in cities across the UK where young people hear directly from apprentices, highlighting that careers aren’t linear. So far this year, over 1000 students have attended of which 44% were female, 36% on free school meals and 70% from ethnically diverse backgrounds. LBG measured advocacy before and after the event and observed a significant increase in advocacy rates, with 85% naming LBG an employer of choice.

Heathrow Airport’s commitment to supporting young learners

In collaboration with their network of education, charity and supply chain partners,  Heathrow Airport has provided employment support to over 240 young learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), supporting young people to gain skills, confidence and work experience to improve their employment outcomes.

A shared commitment to change: do one thing

These employers cannot do it alone.  

These employers cannot do it alone.  

If you’re one of the seven in eight employers without a youth talent strategy, now is the time to act. Could you host a work experience placement? Redesign an entry-level role? Develop your first early careers plan? Whatever it is, do one thing. Because whilst talent is everywhere, opportunity still isn’t. Let’s change that. 

References

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