The Youth Opportunity Pledge
Keeping the first step into work open
Today’s reality for young people:
Right now, thousands of young people are doing everything they’ve been told to do.
They study.
They Apply.
They try to get experience.
And they hit a brick wall.
Not because they lack potential.
But because the first step into work is disappearing.
No experience → no job.
No job → no experience.
They are locked out before they even begin.
This really matters.
Because that first experience of work is where everything starts:
Confidence is built.
Skills are learned.
Direction is found.
Networks are formed.
Remove that step, and the consequences are long-term:
Lower earnings.
Lower confidence.
Fewer opportunities.
It’s how inequality hardens.
And it’s getting worse.
Entry level roles are shrinking.
AI and automation are reshaping junior jobs faster than new pathways are being created.
At the same time, economic pressure is reducing hiring.
The result is simple:
Fewer young people are getting access to the workplace.
732,000 young people in the UK are unemployed.
In London, one in every four young people is unemployed.
Youth unemployment is nearly at its highest rate in over a decade.
Why this matters to employers.
If access disappears, so does your future workforce.
You end up with smaller talent pools. Higher hiring costs. Weaker progression. Long-term capability gaps.
If you don’t have an entry point, you don’t have a pipeline.
The shift required.
Businesses may not be able to hire more right now.
But they can still create access.
And access is what keeps the system working.
So we’ve created the Youth Opportunity Pledge.
It’s a simple commitment:
Offer meaningful work experience to young people.
Real exposure to the workplace.
Real understanding of how work happens.
Real opportunity to get started.
The goal?
Keep the first step into work open.
The pledge is led by employers and chaired by the Rt Hon Justine Greening and Paula Sherriff.
It builds on the original Social Mobility Pledge, co-founded by Justine Greening and covering 450+ businesses, 5 million+ employees, and 50+ universities.
The Rt Hon Justine Greening, co-founder of the Social Mobility Pledge and former Secretary of State for Education.
Paula Sherriff, former MP for Dewsbury and Labour Shadow Minister, who served alongside Sir Keir Starmer.
