Engaging employers Tom Nutland, Policy officer

UK Commission for Employment & Skills The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES): a non-departmental public body (NDPB) led by a group of Commissioners who guide our work and provide expert opinion and advice. Commissioners represent large and small employers, the public, private and voluntary sectors and further and higher education. chaired by Sir Charlie Mayfield of the John Lewis Partnership

Three questions… 1.What kind of labour market are young people entering? 2.What are the barriers young people face when looking for a job? 3.What is employer engagement and why is it important?

What kind of labour market are young people entering? ‘Hour-glass’ economy Quality and security of work A skills shortage in some sectors, a skills surplus in others

Unemployment rate by age group

What are the barriers young people face when looking for a job? 1.Getting experience 2.Getting in 3.Getting on This data comes from the UKCES Employer Perspectives Survey 2014

Getting experience Young people are well prepared for work, but they lack experience Employers value work experience, yet not many offer it Where you live affects the opportunities available to you

Getting in Word of mouth and personal recommendation is still the primary route by which employers recruit young people ‘Earning and learning’ is in decline: in 1997, 42% of year old students were also working. This figure has drastically declined to only 18% in Fewer ‘entry-level jobs’ due to economic and technological change

Getting on Young people mainly recruited into low-skill, low-pay jobs, with fewer opportunities to progress The contraction in middle-ranking jobs, which typically provide a stepping-stone into higher-paid jobs Skills mismatch – better qualified workforce, but under-utilisation of these skills in certain sectors

What is employer engagement and why is it important? Lack of experience is the number one reason that employers turn young job applicants away There is huge energy and commitment from employers, as well as enormous scope for creativity Employer engagement: develops employability skills raises aspirations provides an employer relationship and workplace contacts gives relatable careers information

What is it? Employer engagement is not necessarily just providing two weeks of work experience in the summer. It can include: Providing good quality careers information Setting up mock interviews Offering to give talks in schools or hosting site visits Organising challenges, competitions and project work for students Mentoring Running online activities Internships

Main reasons for not engaging with educational institutions for the purposes of providing work experience/inspiration Schools “Students not advanced enough” … 24% “Legal requirements” … 22% “Not been approached by these institutions” … 16% “Too much bureaucracy / red tape” … 1% “Previous poor experience” … 1% Colleges “Not been approached by these institutions” … 29% “Don't have the time or resource to engage” … 26% “These institutions are not interested” … 4% “Difficulties communicating with these institutions” … 3% “Too much bureaucracy / red tape” … 2% “Previous poor experience” … 1%

Good practice

Benefits to employers Brand loyalty and profile Market insights and customer base / workforce diversity Staff development and engagement Talent planning or ‘derisking recruitment’

Summary ‘Hour-glass’ labour market means that young people need to be given the best start in their careers Work inspiration is an opportunity for employers to show commitment and creativity Experience of the workplace is highly valued by employers but offered by too few Approaching employers or education institutions as partners and maintaining a long term relationship is beneficial for young people and employers

That’s all folks… Get in touch or find out more: Visit me at Follow on