Sareena Bains – CEO – Reflects on a Day to Remember

From Sareena Bains, CEO at Movement to Work

Back in April, we hosted our Youth Employability Summit & Awards – and now that the dust has settled, I’ve taken a moment to reflect on what the event meant.

Young people, employers, mentors, and partners came together to celebrate the impact of quality work experience and to reimagine what’s possible when we work together.

Take a look at the highlights below:

A Movement in Action

From the dynamic conversations during the day to the emotional highs of the awards in the evening, the whole event was a powerful reminder of why Movement to Work exists – and just how far we’ve come.

We heard from young people whose lives have changed through work placements, and from employers who are reshaping their hiring and training practices to be more inclusive. The sense of community, shared commitment and genuine excitement in the room was incredible.

It was a pleasure to welcome the Minister for Employment, Alison McGovern, to the Summit and to have our work recognised in support of the government’s Get Britain Working agenda. From launching YouthPath with the West Midlands Combined Authority to partnering with Microsoft and Accenture to equip NEET young people with the skills to use Gen AI responsibly in their journey toward employment, we’re proud to be part of the effort to help young people into work – and we’re committed to doing even more to support this shared mission.

Introducing: Work Experience Works

One of the standout moments of the night was the launch of our latest campaign: Work Experience Works.

We know that most employers want to support young people, but creating a programme that’s genuinely inclusive, impactful and doesn’t take a whole team to run can feel daunting.

That’s why we’ve created Work Experience Works – a free, practical guide built from real-world insight across our network. It’s packed with clear principles, case studies and simple tips to help employers design meaningful experiences for young people.

Whether you’re hiring early talent, rethinking your outreach, or trying to plug skills gaps, it’s worth downloading our free guidance here – Explore Work Experience Works

Why Employers Are Backing the Movement

We also took the opportunity to ask our partners what the Movement means to them. One message that really captured the spirit of the night came from our incredible host, Ben Shephard:

“The more people that get involved, the more businesses that get involved, the more employers that see the value to this – not just for the young people, but to their businesses as well – the bigger the Movement’s going to get, and the more tangible the change is going to be.”

Watch our event highlights and hear what employers and partners had to say:

Browse the best moments from the night in our photo gallery. 

A Heartfelt Thank You

A huge thank you to all our speakers, panellists, award winners, nominees, and of course, our sponsors:

Smarts, Springpod, Youth Futures Foundation, Cvent, Marriott Hotels, Talent People, Group GTI, NatWest Group, West Midlands Combined Authority.

You made this celebration of youth potential possible, and we’re so grateful for your continued support.

Want to Get Involved?

Ready to chat? Drop us a line at info@movementtowork.com