The Youth Guarantee Advisory Panel, a newly formed group of seventeen 18–24-year-olds providing insights to shape future employment support, has pinpointed a lack of emphasis on apprenticeships in schools as a significant obstacle for young people seeking work or training. This comes as recent data indicates that one in eight young people in the UK are currently not in education, employment, or training (NEET).

Early findings from the panel highlight several key barriers, including mental health challenges, an overemphasis on UCAS applications within schools at the expense of comprehensive careers advice, and limited information on alternative pathways such as apprenticeships and vocational training. Furthermore, issues such as inadequate public transport and limited access to digital tools and devices were also raised.

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The National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) is actively working to counteract these challenges by expanding its skills demonstrations and in-school engagement initiatives across both England and Scotland. The NFRC is also supporting unemployed young people into work through its England Construction Opportunities (ECO) project, which has seen 70% of supported mentees previously classified as short-term or long-term unemployed or economically inactive before starting their apprenticeships.

The NFRC is encouraging businesses looking to expand their workforce to utilise their careers service for mentoring support, aiming to connect more young people with opportunities within the construction sector.