Early careers webinars

When and how should employers engage youth audiences to build strong and sustainable talent pipelines?

In this webinar, we explored the striking truths behind what shapes 16–19-year-olds career choices, the gaps in access to information, and what employers can do to support and engage them.

With guest speakers Josephine Hansom, an independent consultant specialising in intergenerational workplaces, and Rebecca Buck-Sinclair, Early Careers Manager at EY.

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Using UCAS student insight and application data, this webinar explored how future skills demand in the nuclear sector compares with graduate supply trends, highlighting emerging skills gaps and potential future talent shortages. The session featured industry experts involved in delivering the UK's Nuclear Skills Plan and provided practical actions employers can take now to strengthen early talent attraction.

While focused on the nuclear sector, the session demonstrated how UCAS student data can be used to inform workforce planning and provide greater visibility of future talent pipelines. Highly relevant for all employers facing sector visibility challenges, particularly across STEM sectors.

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The webinar explored key insights from UCAS’ research into 16-19-year-olds career decision-making, specifically focusing on where employer engagement can make the biggest impact and provided practical advice for employers to build strong and sustainable future talent pipelines. 

With guest speakers from EY and Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

The webinar covered:

• Insights into young people’s career discovery journey.
• What do they want from employers?
• How can employers engage with them from an earlier stage?
• What can employers do to lay the foundations of a sustainable, long-term young talent pipeline?

A deep dive into the findings of our latest research, Project Next Generation: Early Careers and Apprenticeships – an extensive study focused on the career and education choices of 13 to 17 year olds. 

Our report reveals crucial insights into the decision-making process of young individuals, pinpointing exactly when and where training providers and employers should focus their efforts. 

This insight comes at a point where there is the biggest economic opportunity in more than a generation. With a growing 18 year old population, that continues through until the end of the decade, and increasing recognition, employers have the opportunity to tackle talent shortages.

We shared actionable insights for employers to help future-proof their early careers and apprenticeships recruitment strategy. And, there was a chance to ask questions to our panel of experts. 

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UCAS projects there could be up to a million higher education applicants in a single year in 2030, up from almost three quarters of a million today. The surge in student numbers by the end of this decade presents both a threat to the prospects of the young people who may miss out on education or training opportunities, but also a clear opportunity for employers to capitalise, by hiring students directly as apprentices.  

With over 500,000 of the young people who register with UCAS each year telling us they’re interested in apprenticeships, we know the desire is there but there is an opportunity gap.  

ISE, UCAS, and our panel of apprentices and employers, discussed the barriers faced by employers and would-be apprentices and explored the best ways to connect employers with the next generation of talent. How do we ensure young people receive the right careers information, advice and guidance to enable them to explore all of the options available to them? How can employers present their brand as an employer of choice to the next generation and raise awareness of their apprenticeship and early careers opportunities? 

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Demand for apprenticeships is at an all-time high – with 59% of students in Years 9-12 now considering an apprenticeship role – yet the number of young learners starting an apprenticeship remains low.

So how can employers make their apprenticeship opportunities more accessible and visible to young people as they explore their options? And how can we make the journey to discovering and applying for apprenticeships easier for potential applicants?

UCAS has recently launched a new apprenticeships service, meaning that every young person logging into their UCAS student account, known as the UCAS Hub, will see relevant apprenticeship opportunities alongside degree courses. With over one million students registering on the UCAS Hub each year and seeking advice and guidance on their future options, this move gives greater visibility to apprenticeships and enables employers to get their vacancies seen by a rich, wide talent pool.

Join ISE, UCAS, and our employer panel, as we explore how this could transform your apprenticeship recruitment strategy and give you access to a future talent pipeline to meet your business needs and fill critical skills shortages.

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