Thank you to everyone who joined us on Tuesday for the AI Skilling Spotlight at LinkedIn’s HQ in London. It was an energising morning focused on AI skills, youth opportunity, and the future of work.

The LinkedIn team brought together a selection of brilliant speakers and we heard powerful insights from Skills England, including Dr Nisreen Ameen and Frank Bowley, on the newly published AI Skills Framework—along with a thought-provoking keynote from Dr Ole Teutloff on AI and the future of human expertise.

The panels brought together leaders from across industry, policy and youth employment to explore how we ensure every young person can thrive in an AI-enabled world. Huge thanks to contributors from Microsoft, Institute for the Future of Work, Youth Futures Foundation, GLA, Cisco, Connectr and the Open University.

Across all conversations, one theme stood out clearly: preparing young people for an AI-driven future cannot be done in silos. It requires partnership—between educators, employers, policymakers, and organisations working directly with young people. The appetite for collaboration in the room was undeniable.

A real highlight was welcoming young people onsite for hands-on career support. LinkedIn employees offered personalised 1:1 mentoring and helped attendees refine standout profiles, while professional headshots were taken throughout the afternoon. Young people also connected directly with employers, explored real job opportunities, and learnt practical ways to make LinkedIn work for them as they begin their career journeys with confidence.

This event also marks one of the first major moments in our new collaboration with LinkedIn through its Future of Work initiative—together we aim to expand opportunities for young people and strengthen the pathways that help them move into meaningful work.

Thank you to all speakers, partners and attendees—and to everyone helping build a future where every young person has the skills and opportunity to succeed.

And a huge thank you to LinkedIn for hosting us at your London office and for the incredible support from your team throughout the day.

We’re proud that our work has helped make a new collaboration possible by bringing together Accenture, Marriott UK and Springpod, to launch an innovative virtual-to-reality work experience, designed to help young people from underserved communities take their first steps into work.

This partnership bridges the opportunity gap by combining digital learning with real-world experience, creating an accessible pathway into the hospitality industry and tackling one of the biggest barriers young people face: a lack of experience itself.

Through our network of trusted youth partners, including: Shaw Trust, Centrepoint, ThinkForward, Aviard, and Street League, the programme will reach those who need it most, offering practical skills, confidence, and a clearer route to meaningful employment.

This initiative is a powerful example of what can happen when employers, educators, and youth organisations come together to remove barriers and unlock potential. Together, we’re building a pathway to possibility for every young person, no matter their background.

Read the full article here 

Get involved…

Employers – Work Experience Works
Work experience can take many forms, virtual, in-person, or blended and when done well, it changes lives. Learn how to design meaningful and inclusive programmes with our Work Experience Works best-practice guidance, co-created with our network of partners and employers.

Join us!

As a member of the Movement, you’ll get free support to grow youth employment programmes, with a dedicated account manager to guide you, from designing or updating your programme to connecting with our wider network. Learn more here

This October we proudly launched YouthPath in the Liverpool City Region (LCR) together with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA). 

YouthPath is a targeted regional initiative aimed at tackling youth unemployment and creating meaningful pathways into work for young people aged 16–30 who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET).

First launched in the West Midlands earlier this year, YouthPath has already shown the power of collaboration in opening doors for those who need it most. So we’re excited to expand this scheme, helping young people develop skills, gain experience, and access apprenticeships and job opportunities while supporting businesses to become more inclusive and future-ready.

Raise Up- A Summit of Hope

We officially launched YouthPath LCR at the Raise Up Youth Summit at Box Park, Liverpool, where hundreds of business leaders came together to support the region’s future workforce. The day was packed with inspiring discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities, making it the perfect place to launch YouthPath as businesses across the Liverpool City Region were called to step up, show up, and lead the charge on social mobility.

Our CEO, Sareena Bains, led a powerful panel on breaking down barriers to employment, joined by our incredible employer partners Katie Byrne (Barclays), Nicki O’Connor (DWP), and our inspiring Youth Ambassador Emma Carter. Emma completed a Movement to Work placement with HM Revenue & Customs, has gone on to secure employment, and even met the Prime Minister and Chancellor—a true testament to the potential unlocked when businesses invest in young people! 

We were also joined by Councillor Marion Atkinson, Leader of Sefton Council and LCRCA Portfolio Holder for Employment, Education and Skills, who supported our call to action for employers in the Liverpool City Region to get involved.

Throughout the summit the Movement to Work team delivered free training sessions in partnership with Accenture, Microsoft, and LinkedIn — helping young people use AI and digital tools to find their path into work.

Liverpool Employers – Get Involved

YouthPath transforms lives — but its impact depends on the businesses that take part.

Liverpool employers now have the chance to:

• Develop or strengthen youth employment programmes
• Access a diverse and motivated talent pipeline
• Make a tangible impact in their communities

We provide fully funded support to help businesses get started. Joining is easy, rewarding, and impactful.

Find out more and get involved 

YouthPath LCR

Together, we can unlock opportunities, strengthen communities, and give Liverpool’s young people the chance they deserve.

Read the press coverage

• LBN Daily
• The Business Desk

In September, we brought together employers and youth engagement leaders at our Youth Action Forum (YAF) to explore how we can better support young people facing barriers to employment — including those affected by homelessness, neurodivergence, and the justice system.

We heard from partners Youth Futures Foundation, Key4Life, Centrepoint, and ThinkForward UK, who shared inclusive recruitment strategies, inspiring success stories, and research into the challenges faced by NEET youth.

Our Youth Action Forums are a key part of how we bring employers and partners together to share insights, experiences, and practical solutions. They provide a space to discuss the challenges of running work experience programmes and explore ways to ensure we continue delivering quality work opportunities for young people. These forums are invaluable for learning, networking, and shaping more inclusive employment practices.

Reflecting on the day, Ashley from Think Forward said:

“I find these experiences give me loads of energy, new ideas and today has reminded me of the levels of complexity and the need for a highly bespoke approach to working with young people who are at risk of exclusion.”

Similarly, Amy from Centrepoint highlighted the collaborative spirit of the forum:

“We all need to take steps further to influence recruitment strategies and processes, it’s been awesome to talk through that today.”

The session concluded with a focused discussion on how employers can turn insight into action. In response, we’ve developed three new employer guides with our network of partners to help organisations create more inclusive workplaces.

We want to thank all the youth partners and employers who joined the YAF and shared their expertise. Your input was invaluable in shaping both the discussions and the content of these new resources.

Unlocking Potential: New Employer Guides Now Live

Guides cover: How employers can support NEET youth with neurodivergence, experiences of homelessness, and involvement with the justice system.

What’s Inside

• Challenges – Barriers NEET young people face and why inclusion matters
• What Works – Proven strategies for recruitment and support
• Work Experience – Creating flexible, empowering opportunities
• Workplace Culture – How to foster respect, empathy, and inclusion across teams
• Training & Partnerships – Where to find expert guidance, resource & training  
• Inclusive Hiring – How diversity strengthens teams and drives innovation

MtW Members: Access the guides via the Members Area under ‘Support’: https://movementtowork.com/members/

Not a member? Join here: movementtowork.com/employers-join-now

Inclusive hiring isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s good for business and life-changing for young people. Let’s continue unlocking potential together.

On Thursday 25th September, we partnered with PeoplePlus to host a YouthPath Talent Match event at The NEC in Birmingham, a day designed to connect young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET) with real job opportunities across the West Midlands.

With over 30 employers and nearly 200 young people in attendance, the event created a powerful space for conversation, confidence-building, and career exploration.

YouthPath in Action

This event was part of our wider YouthPath initiative, which has been running across the West Midlands since February. Designed to connect young people with accessible pathways into employment, the campaign continues to grow, thanks to the involvement of engaged employer partners offering real opportunities in the region.

We were pleased to be joined by several of these partners at the event. Compass Group UK & Ireland, Severn Trent, and The Berkeley Group (representing St Joseph Homes) showcased career opportunities across hospitality, utilities, and housing. Meanwhile, PGL offered insights into roles in outdoor education, and the Aston Villa Foundation introduced their catering and hospitality programme tailored for young people.

Paul Hughes, Senior Programme Manager, Aston Villa Foundation said: 

“We attended the Talent Match event to support Movement to Work’s YouthPath campaign and promote the opportunities that our Villa Catering Club can provide young people. We’re looking to support them into the hospitality and catering sector with real-life experiences and industry-recognised qualifications.

We were excited to meet and engage with young people through the opportunity that this event has provided us with, especially a targeted approach to 19–24-year-olds, and potentially sparking the start of their career journeys in the sector.”

By the end of the day, 482 meaningful conversations had taken place, 206 candidates progressed to second-stage interviews, and 5 job offers were made on the spot.

These numbers speak to the energy and intent of everyone involved and to the importance of continuing to create these kinds of opportunities across the UK.

A huge thank you to The NEC for hosting us and providing such a great space for the event.

Join YouthPath

If you’re an employer in the West Midlands and want to support young people into work, now’s the time to get involved.

Learn more and get involved: movementtowork.com/youthpath