We're on a mission for full youth employment
As experts on youth employment, we understand the complex landscape facing young people and employers.
That’s why we support employers and organisations through our Membership as we campaign for change.
This is why we have developed the Good Youth Employment Standards, a set of principles that all Youth Employment UK Members commit to meeting. Young people want to work for organisations who are intentionally creating youth friendly opportunities that are inclusive, fair and help them to meet their potential. Through our Membership and the growing commitments to the Good Youth Employment Standards, we are collectively making a difference with every opportunity. You will find our Members wherever you see the Good Youth Employment Standards Badge. Young people tell us that they don’t think there are good quality opportunities for them.
Engagement, support, experience and employment
Organisations are providing or will provide: early careers activities and engagement, work experience, employment and pre-employment support.
Inclusive
Organisations are committed to making opportunities more inclusive to young people, by removing unnecessary grades and experience from entry level roles and encouraging applications from diverse backgrounds.
Inclusive working environment
Organisations are committed to making their working environment more inclusive for young people.
Review and adapt based on young people’s needs and experience
Organisations are committed to reviewing and adapting roles and responsibilities based on employees’ needs and experience.
Minimum+
Organisations pay at least the minimum wage for all young staff under age 21.
Organisations are committed to regularly reviewing pay, benefits and rewards structure for all staff, including those under age 21.
Organisations always provide young staff with an Employment Contract which details hours and place of work.
Organisations are committed to providing clear induction, onboarding and development support. For example health and safety, company policies, and job role and responsibilities training.
Organisations are committed to providing ongoing support and development opportunities to young staff. For example, formal and informal training, feedback and reviews, development plans and mentoring.
Organisations are committed to listening to feedback and taking proactive action on insight given by young people in the organisation, and those participating in early careers and work experience activities.
Our Members gain access to our large collection of resources on early careers best practice and strategy, from outreach, to recruitment, to retention through our Members only dashboard.
This digital tool allows employers to measure and monitor their current youth employment practice. It supports employers to boost the quality of their early talent interactions and programmes.
Our Members can join our events with leading experts and young people. They also gain involvement in our annual Youth Employment Week and end of year in-person Good Youth Employment celebration.
As part of our end of year Good Youth Employment Event, our Members will have the opportunity to be recognised in our Good Youth Employment Awards.
Receive updates straight to your inbox with our latest employer best practice and news, as well as wider updates with our expert insight on youth voice and policy.
Ready to make a difference to youth employment?
Our team is ready to start you on your journey with us, and are on hand to help you get the most out of your Membership and exclusive dashboard. Speak to us today at: members@youthemployment.org.uk
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Our Benchmark tool is available exclusively to our Members
The Good Youth Employment Benchmark, a first-of-its-kind digital tool, allows employers to measure and monitor their current youth employment practices.
The Benchmark supports employers to access the information, advice and guidance they need to grow the quality of their early talent interactions and programmes, particularly for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Access to the Benchmark is available through Youth Employment UK Membership.
It will open annually to take a view of the activities employers have completed in the 12 months prior and what their plans might be for the year ahead.
“ We’re pleased to welcome the launch of the Youth Employment UK Good Youth Employment Benchmark. IES supported the development of the Benchmark with background research in 2022/2023.
We found that other benchmarks and toolkits are rarely based on robust research and most also lack systematic means of collecting data. We are therefore pleased that the Youth Employment UK Benchmark tackles these issues head on.
We are looking forward to seeing how employers can use the Benchmark to improve their recruitment, retention and development of young people in the workforce and how, with support from Youth Employment UK, a real difference is made in the lives of young people looking to get in, and on, in good quality employment.
”
JoyWilliams Principal Research Fellow, Institute for Employment Studies
How will the Benchmark benefit your organisation?
It’s a guided space that will help you review and reflect on your orgnisations current practice.
It’ll support you to build on youth employment best practice.
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You’ll access a wide range of tailored content and resources that will support your strategic priorities.
4 You’ll support the wider evidence base of good youth employment practice, feeding into systems of change.
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See how your organisation sits against industry and region averages.
Feed into our annual national ‘Setting the Standard’ report.
Tailored content based on your organisations needs.
As the What Works Centre for youth employment, Youth Futures Foundation has supported the Benchmark to become a more evidence-based and impactful tool to improve employer practice and behaviour.
“The current youth employment system creates and amplifies barriers to work – like ill health, discrimination, or lack of access to information – that stop young people from finding and keeping good work. Changing the system through evidence-based policy and practice is the only way to remove these barriers and to unlock more opportunities for young people.”
One of our core aims is to connect young people with quality opportunities and our Members can be part of this through our Membership + Recruitment service. With all of our recruitment packages you can post unlimited opportunities and vacancies through our Opportunity Finder, an interactive job board where young people can explore quality opportunities in their local area and across the UK.
Our Opportunity Finder is an interactive tool that showcases local opportunities and vacancies for young people, including apprenticeships, graduate vacancies, entry level roles, supported internships, work placements and careers fairs.
In 2023, our website saw over 3 million page views across our skills and careers resources. There’s never been a better time to get your brand in front of our active audience of young people.
Our recruitment offer also includes the creation of an online profile to showcase your brand and give young people an insight into your early careers offer. Your hub details what makes you an excellent choice for young people as well as showcasing your opportunities.
Join these organisations already working with us
Essential Profile
Our Essential package has everything you need to get your opportunities in front of an active network of young people looking for their next career step.
Starting from
£1500/year
Unlimited Vacancies
Account Support
Essential Profile Build
Promotion across the Youth Employment UK network
Quarterly report on the Opportunity Finder
Our Essential Profile build has everything you need to create a hub for young people to discover more about your brand.
All of your early careers information in one place, in front of our network.
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Early careers information
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Premium Profile
Our Premium package takes your early careers strategy to the next level, with an enhanced profile build and data insights into our Opportunity Finder.
Starting from
£2500/year
Unlimited Vacancies
Account Support
Enhanced Profile Build
Promotion across the Youth Employment UK network
Quarterly report on the Opportunity Finder
Our Premium Profile build is an in-depth hub showcasing your full early careers offer.
The enhanced content gives future talent a real insight into what your company has to offer.
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About Us
Early careers information
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Embedded videos
Case study articles
Benefits section
The 2023 Youth Voice Census told us that less than 30% of young people in the UK received work experience in secondary school. Lack of work experience has featured as one of young people’s biggest barriers to work in all 6 years of Youth Voice Census data. This is why we created our Virtual Work Experience guides. They’re an important tool that help young people discover careers, sectors and pathways available to them. They’re a great opportunity to give future talent an insight into your organisation, whilst providing them with essential skills to add to their own CV. Our Virtual Work Experience packages start from £15,000, and include everything needed to create a complete Virtual Work Experience from workbooks, to videos, to web pages and outreach.
Check out our existing Virtual Work Experience on our website from the Local Government Association, Haven, McDonalds and more
Emily Austin, CEO Association of Apprentices
The Good Youth Employment Standards provide a simple way for employers to focus on how best they can support young people to access work and progress. As an employer, I know the amount of information and initiatives can be overwhelming. So Youth Employment’s straightforward checklist and easy to understand guidance on hiring and supporting young people to help fill critical skills gaps, diversify the workforce and build talent pipelines is essential and very welcome. Proud to be a member of the Standards!
Kate Taylor, Apprentice and Early Careers Manager ABPFor over four years, ABP UK has been proud to collaborate with Youth Employment UK, a partnership that has proven instrumental in our commitment to nurturing young talent. Through this alliance, we've gained access to invaluable, up-to-date insights and resources that have been pivotal in driving several initiatives aimed at attracting, retaining, and developing our youth workforce. Our partnership with Youth Employment UK has been instrumental in shaping a brighter future for both our young workforce and our organisation.
