Talent is everywhere, opportunity is not: It’s time young people help design the system that fails them

In February of this year, we gathered at St. George’s House for 24 hours of discussion, debate and reflection to create a Blueprint for the Future on Skills, Careers and Collaboration. A partnership with The Inspirational Learning Group, this consultation brought business leaders together with education professionals and learners to shine a light on the current inequity in skills development and consider ways forward that reinforced the crucial role of employers, examples of sustained collaboration between business and education and the importance of listening to young people about their needs and experiences. During this consultation, we launched a new FED Futures project on Skills and Careers that will report in Spring/Summer 2026. If you’re interested in working with us on this important topic please get in touch with the FED team on [email protected]. 

Two members of our Learners Council joined the consultation at St. George’s House and played a pivotal role in shaping the discussions. Here we share their reflections.

“Developing skills for the workplace requires a combination of functional expertise, hybrid working competencies, and cultural and emotional intelligence. However, not all learners have equal opportunities to acquire these skills due to factors such as cognitive load, geography, and hidden biases in skill recognition. Employers play a crucial role in bridging this gap by offering realistic career pathways, acting as role models, providing development opportunities, and supporting key influencers such as teachers and parents with accurate information.

Best practices from organisations like British Airways, VolkerWessels UK, and AirProducts demonstrate the effectiveness of strategic engagement, talent development programs, and hands-on career fairs. Ensuring a consistent presence at career events, offering meaningful work experience, and providing high-quality educational resources help young people navigate the transition from education to employment.

The evolving job market demands emerging skills in areas like FinTech, data analysis, security, and renewable energy. However, a significant skills shortage persists, particularly in health and social care, construction, education (SEND teaching assistants), and energy sectors. With 60% of the UK workforce engaged in hybrid work, challenges such as problem-solving, isolation, and communication styles must be addressed.

To create greater equity between academic and vocational routes, collaboration between employers, educators, and students is essential. Employer-led mentoring, sponsorship programmes, and early interventions in curriculum design can enhance experiential learning. AI-driven career support and digital connectivity can further help match skills to employment, ensuring greater transparency in career opportunities. Engaging parents, educators, and businesses in collaborative events and sharing best practices will help bridge the gap between education and employment, fostering a future-ready workforce”.

“Spending time at Windsor Castle for Blueprint for the Future: Skills, Careers, and Collaboration was an unforgettable experience. Surrounded by passionate and forward-thinking individuals, we explored what it truly means to prepare young people for the future world of work. But beyond the structured sessions, it was the deeper conversations on equity, access, and real-world impact that left a lasting impression.

One thing was clear: our current system does not serve all young people equally. Despite growing momentum and best intentions, careers education and skills development remain inaccessible to many, particularly those facing geographical, social, or economic barriers. If we’re serious about creating a future-ready workforce, we need more than policy tweaks. We need bold action that places young people at the centre of decision-making.

The careers gap isn’t just about misaligned skills, it’s about unequal access to opportunity. Talent is everywhere, but opportunity isn’t. We must address regional disparities, rethink outdated work experience models, and shift perceptions around vocational routes. A few weeks of shadowing simply isn’t enough. Work-based learning needs to be embedded across education and tailored to reflect today’s diverse career pathways.

Employers also have a vital role to play not just as supporters, but as co-creators of a better system. That means investing in young people early, making recruitment pipelines more inclusive, and collaborating with schools in meaningful, sustained ways. The responsibility for preparing the next generation must be shared.

During the event, I was privileged to speak during both the opening and closing sessions, championing the need for equity, employer engagement, and systems that are co-designed with young people, not just for them.

Conversations like this matter. But if we want real impact, they must lead to action. As I left Windsor, I felt more determined than ever to push for a system that doesn’t just respond to change but drives it. And that starts by giving young people the agency, opportunity, and trust to shape their own futures”.