The UK is facing a youth employment crisis at a scale that should concern every technology leader. Alan Milburn’s interim review on youth employment shares the stark finding that nearly one million young people are now not in education, employment or training. This is costing the UK around £125 billion, which is a significant loss for the economy. Behind it sits a deeper structural challenge – a growing disconnect between traditional education pathways and the skills employers actually need.
While young people struggle to get a foothold in the labour market, employers, particularly in tech, continue to report persistent skills shortages. A recent Skills England Assessment shows that demand for digital, data and technology skills continues to outstrip supply, with shortages not only in advanced technical roles, but across operational, delivery and support functions. What we face is not a shortage of degree qualified individuals, but a disconnect in how we recognise, develop and deploy work ready talent for a fast-moving economy.
“No experience, no job”, a vicious circle
For many young people, tech feels closed off before they even begin. The prevailing myth is that a career in technology requires a computer science degree, years of coding experience, or both. This misconception fuels the unproductive cycle of “no experience, no job; no job, no experience”.
In reality, a significant proportion of entry-level tech roles do not require deep technical expertise at the outset. Roles in project support, customer success, service operations, data operations, quality assurance and platform support often prioritise communication, organisation and problem‑solving over coding languages or formal qualifications. Technical skills can be taught. Human skills are harder to find, and harder to be replaced by the capabilities of AI technology.
Yet, too many job descriptions still default to inflated entry requirements, unintentionally excluding capable young people who could thrive with the right support. At a time when the industry is in dire need for young, versatile talent, this is a self-defeating approach.
Human skills – the real gateway into tech
If we are serious about widening access to tech careers, we need to rethink what “talent” looks like. Employers consistently say they want people who can collaborate, communicate clearly, adapt to change and solve problems under pressure. These are not niche attributes. They are human skills, often long developed before someone sets foot in a tech workplace.
Education, part-time work, caring responsibilities, volunteering and life experience all build capabilities such as resilience, teamwork and accountability. For young people who may not have followed a traditional academic route, these strengths are frequently overlooked, despite being precisely what modern tech environments require.
In a sector defined by constant change, adaptability matters as much as technical knowledge. The most valuable early career hires are not those who know everything on day one, but those who can learn quickly, ask the right questions, and work well with others.
Apprenticeships – from potential to productivity
For those who are struggling to thrive in or access traditional education and employment routes, apprenticeships provide a great alternative. Apprenticeship programmes offer a practical, inclusive solution to both youth unemployment and skills shortages. They provide a structured route into the industry, combining paid work with formal learning, enabling young people to build technical skills alongside developing human skills.
For employers, apprenticeships create a pipeline of motivated, loyal talent trained to their specific needs. For young people, they offer credibility, confidence and a clear career progression path.
Crucially, apprenticeships disrupt the “no experience” cycle by redefining “experience” itself. Work is not the reward at the end of learning, but a continuous mechanism for learning and upskilling.
A call to action
Young people cannot be expected to solve the unemployment crisis alone. Employers have a critical role to play. That means widening entry criteria and, valuing potential over “experience”. It means asking not “who already fits?”, but “who could succeed here with the right support?” It also means designing recruitment practices that can see past generic AI applications.
At the same time, young people need to be empowered to see themselves in tech. You do not need to already be an expert coder. You do not need to have everything figured out. Recognising your strengths and what makes ‘you, you’ is the best place to start and ensure you make these shine on any application form and in any interview room.
One million young people cannot afford to wait. And an industry facing critical skills shortages cannot afford to overlook them. Tech has an opportunity, and a responsibility, to be part of the solution.
Cassandra MacDonald
Cassandra MacDonald is Dean of School of Technology at BPP. Cassandra originally trained as a Chartered Accountant for KPMG before moving into accountancy tutoring. She joined BPP in 2019 and has responsibility for overseeing all aspects of delivery in the School of Technology.
