SKILLS CRISIS
The traditional work-experience model, however, can create obstacles, particularly for smaller businesses.
Health and safety, safeguarding, administration, insurance and cyber security all cause concern. Some employers cannot provide temporary access to sensitive systems, while others may struggle to supply appropriate protective equipment or devote staff time to supervising a conventional block placement.
Misunderstandings add to the burden. The report says students would be covered by existing Employers’ Liability and Public Liability insurance, and points to guidance produced by the Association of British Insurers to address misconceptions.
It recommends consolidated government guidance covering insurance, health and safety, safeguarding and employer responsibilities.
It also advocates more flexible models.
The Careers & Enterprise Company’ s equalex framework replaces reliance on a single placement with multiple meaningful employer encounters throughout a young person’ s education.
In a KPMG UK-led pilot involving highdeprivation schools, 92 % of learners reported a better understanding of the skills employers were looking for. Employers valued the flexibility and reduced administrative burden.
Other examples include Northumbrian Water Group’ s Young Citizens Work Experience Festival, which welcomed around 430 students from 19 schools in 2026 for workshops covering employability, applications, STEM and environmental projects.
Feedback showed improvements in teamwork, communication, problemsolving and creativity.
The BCC wants Government to adopt and promote a single national framework for flexible work experience, such as equalex, so that employers face a consistent process regardless of geography, capacity or sector.
Mentoring across generations
Mentoring provides a bridge between careers advice, experience and continuing development.
It can help young people understand routes into work, support employees considering progression and allow experienced staff to develop their own leadership and coaching skills.
Reverse mentoring can also give senior employees insight into emerging technology, changing expectations and the perspectives of younger colleagues.
That makes mentoring relevant not only to social impact but to organisational learning.
The BCC proposes that, by September 2027, every school and college should be connected to a local employer-led mentoring network coordinated by Chambers of Commerce and other employer representative bodies.
It suggests businesses could encourage staff to use some corporate volunteering time to participate.
The potential return is threefold: young people gain contact with workplaces and role models; employees develop communication and coaching capabilities; and businesses strengthen their future talent pipelines while increasing the value of community investment.
A call for clarity
Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said:“ Tackling the worrying youth jobs crisis must be part of a wider rethink on lifelong learning.
SHEVAUN HAVILAND
“ BCC data shows a deepening skills crisis embedded in our economy.
“ Growth depends on having people with the right skills in the right jobs, and that means throughout somebody’ s career.
“ Too often policymakers have treated careers advice, skills development and employment support as separate issues. The reality is that they are all part of the same journey.”
She added:“ Firms are eagerly awaiting the publication of Alan Milburn’ s final report. But the businesses we represent also want to see government action on helping adults retrain, upskill and adapt throughout their working lives. The AI revolution makes this even more critical.”
For the BCC, the central challenge is not a shortage of schemes.
Its report explicitly asks policymakers not to create more programmes, products or initiatives, but to construct“ a clearer, simpler and more coherent system” connecting careers guidance, skills development and employment support throughout life.
That is also the opportunity. Better preparation for young people and better support for adults are mutually reinforcing.
When employees can progress, they help businesses fill higher-skilled roles and create openings further down the career ladder. When firms can recruit, retrain and deploy people more effectively, they are better placed to invest and grow.
The route from classroom to career can no longer be understood as a one-off transition.
In an economy being reshaped by technology and demographic change, it is likely to be a journey repeated many times. The BCC’ s message is that the institutions, incentives and advice around it must catch up.
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