Milburn urges employers to teach careers to four-year-olds

Almost one million young people in the UK — 981,000 aged 16 to 24 — were not in education, employment or training between April and June 2026, according to Office for National Statistics data. That figure frames the final instalment of Alan Milburn's government-commissioned report, which will call for children as young as four to start learning about the world of work.

Milburn, a former minister and author of the review into youth activity, wants employers to give talks and taster sessions in primary schools, with dedicated curriculum space to "broaden horizons". He also wants work experience placements made mandatory for pupils aged 14 to 16.

"In primary school, it's really about opening their eyes and giving them a sense about what is possible," Milburn told the BBC.

The report, due in the autumn, argues the drift toward becoming Neet — not in education, employment or training — starts well before a young person's 16th birthday. The recent policy push toward apprenticeships and work experience in Years 10 and 11 comes too late for many, Milburn contends.

"It'd be good if employers came into schools and said, 'Look, this is what's going on, these are things that are possible,'" he said.

For Key Stage 4 pupils, aged 14 to 16, he insists experience must take place in a real workplace, with employer feedback attached.

"Work experience needs to be mandatory. It makes a big difference," Milburn told the BBC.

The access gap

Milburn pointed to a sharp inequality in who secures placements. "There are about four in ten people aged 14-16 who aren't getting any work experience at all," he said. "In other schools, students are told to go off and find their own work experience and that often relies on the network of Mum and Dad."

For employers, the recommendation amounts to an ask: staff time for primary-school talks and structured placements for teenagers, filling a gap the state currently leaves open. In England, careers guidance must be offered to students aged 11 to 18, but work experience is not statutory.

The government has stated its vision to "guarantee two weeks' worth of work experience for every young person" in England.

Education is devolved, and while Milburn's review examines all four UK nations, his education recommendations apply specifically to England. The rest of the UK has already moved earlier: in both Scotland and Wales, career-based learning is a requirement in schools for children as young as three.

Unions back the principle, warn on capacity

Teaching unions responded positively to earlier careers learning but flagged the burden on primary schools.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union National Association of Head Teachers, warned of the "significant pressure" already facing primary schools.

"Whenever new mandatory requirements are proposed, it is important to be clear about what might have to give way to make room for them," he said.

Whiteman also pointed to existing programmes such as Primary Futures, which brings volunteers from different professions into schools to "challenge stereotypes and raise aspirations". He added: "The earlier young people can begin to make connections between what they learn in school and the possibilities that lie ahead, the better."

Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said a visitor in the classroom can "enlighten [children's] motivation... and give them that sense of passion for all the opportunities beyond the classroom" — though he acknowledged that finding opportunities in rural areas could prove harder.

Parents split

Parents are divided on the premise. Emma, from Kirklees, whose grandchildren are in Years 1, 2 and 4, thinks primary school is too early.

"In primary school, there is too much trying to get little kids to grow up too quickly," she said. "Just let them be little kids. I know they have to learn and the world's changing, but still, give them a chance to be kids."

Zoe, another parent, disagreed: "I think it's a good idea. It's something that everyone has to do, so if you learn early, it's something they don't have to learn later on."

The report lands in the autumn. Whether employers sign up in sufficient numbers — and whether Westminster legislates to make work experience statutory in England, as Scotland and Wales already have — will determine whether Milburn's early-start prescription changes anything for the 981,000 young people currently outside the system.