Lifelong Learning Could Help More Young People Build Skills for the Future
Learning should not stop when somebody leaves school, college or university. As workplaces change and new technologies reshape the skills employers need, the ability to continue learning throughout a career is becoming increasingly important.
Tackling the jobs crisis facing young people should form part of a much wider rethink of lifelong learning. The organisation believes skills development needs to respond not only to the immediate difficulties young people face entering employment, but also to the changing needs of workers and businesses throughout their working lives.
The timing is significant. The BCC’s latest economic forecast expects youth unemployment to reach 16.6% by the end of 2026 before potentially rising to 17.6% in 2027. At the same time, businesses are facing their own pressures around investment and recruitment, making it even more important that the skills people develop connect with genuine opportunities in the labour market.
For young people beginning their careers, lifelong learning can start with something as simple as recognising that their first qualification or first job does not have to determine everything that comes afterwards. Skills can be developed, careers can change and new opportunities can emerge as somebody gains experience.
This is particularly important for young people who may currently be outside education, employment or training. Someone who has struggled to find their first job does not necessarily lack ability. They may need a different route into the workplace, additional training, greater confidence or an opportunity to demonstrate what they can do.
Apprenticeships can play an important role by combining employment with learning. Practical training, work placements and employer-led programmes can also help young people develop skills in real working environments while building the experience that can be difficult to gain through traditional education alone.
But learning should also reflect how quickly workplaces are changing. Digital technology and artificial intelligence are transforming many industries, while communication, adaptability, teamwork and problem-solving remain valuable across different sectors. Preparing people for the future therefore means developing both technical abilities and the transferable skills that allow someone to adapt as their career progresses.
Employers have an important part to play in making this possible. Businesses understand the skills they require and can help education and training providers ensure learning connects with real jobs. Stronger employer partners can also give young people greater exposure to different industries, allowing them to understand what careers actually involve before deciding which direction they want to pursue.
The relationship can benefit employers too. The BCC has previously highlighted concerns around recruitment and skills, including the need to engage Generation Z more effectively with the workplace. Creating clearer links between businesses, training and young people can help employers develop their future workforce rather than waiting for perfectly experienced candidates to appear.
Lifelong learning also recognises that careers are rarely completely predictable. Industries grow and change, new roles appear and the skills required for existing jobs evolve. Giving people access to training throughout their working lives can help them respond to those changes rather than feeling left behind by them.
For young people, that message can be particularly powerful. Entering employment does not mean having to know exactly what you want to do for the next 40 years. The first opportunity can simply be a starting point — somewhere to build confidence, develop skills, discover strengths and understand what direction might come next.
That is why careers support should focus on possibility as well as immediate employment. Helping somebody secure a job matters, but helping them understand how they can continue developing after they enter work can create much longer-term benefits.
At I’M MORE, we believe every young person deserves the opportunity to build a future defined by potential rather than circumstance.
Creating those futures requires education, employers, training providers and community organisations to work together. Apprenticeships, practical skills development, employability support and accessible career pathways can all provide different routes towards the same goal: helping people move forward.
Lifelong learning ultimately means recognising that development does not have an expiry date. Whether somebody is taking their first steps towards employment, learning a new workplace skill or changing direction later in their career, there should always be an opportunity to grow.
Our mission is to help young people Discover, Believe and Become.
If more young people can access learning that connects directly with employers and real career opportunities, tackling youth unemployment becomes about more than getting somebody into their first job. It becomes about giving them the skills, confidence and adaptability to continue building their future long after that first opportunity arrives.
