Call for united action on youth employment

Our CEO Keith Anderson says if Ministers can set “clear, long-term direction” which gives businesses the confidence to invest, they can create more opportunities for young people currently not in employment, education or training.

The call comes as we recruited record levels of early careers entrants, against the backdrop of national decline in apprenticeship and graduate opportunities.

We have seen a huge rise of 25% in graduate opportunities from last year, with a further 34% rise in placements in our Year in Industry programme, which gives a year-long paid role to those just starting out in their career, while other training opportunities are up by 8%.

This comes despite recent reports showing graduate vacancies in the UK falling to their lowest level in a decade and apprenticeship opportunities becoming more challenging for young people to find too.

Speaking ahead of a round-table event for politicians and business leaders in Edinburgh, Mr Anderson said: “Too often, debates about economic growth focus solely on major infrastructure projects or headline investment figures.

“Those are important, but they miss a crucial point. Growth becomes real when local businesses win contracts, when apprentices are recruited, when wages rise and when communities see a future worth investing in.

“The question now is how we continue to grow that and, importantly, replicate that success elsewhere.

“One lesson stands out above all others. Businesses need ambition, certainty and stability to invest. When government sets clear long-term direction and works in partnership with industry, companies respond. They expand facilities, train workers, develop expertise and build supply chains.

“The UK’s clean energy ambitions have helped create that environment for our sector. The challenge for policymakers is how to apply the same principles across other strategically important industries.”

The latest ONS stats released last month suggest that 981,000 people aged 16 to 24 were not in employment, education or training (Neet) between April and June 2026.

But we are bucking this trend, thanks to a record £24bn investment plan to rewire the grid and build more clean power, expanding the workforce from 6,500 to 11,000 by 2030.

A total of 465 graduates, apprentices, trainees and Year in Industry placements have been recruited – up an overall 12% on 2025.

Roles filled this year include data science, engineering, fitting, jointing, logistics, overhead lines, project management and software engineering.

This includes those taken on by the recently acquired Electricity North West.

Mr Anderson added: “Britain needs growth. The good news is that we don't need to start from scratch to find it. Across the energy sector, businesses are already showing what can be achieved when ambition is matched with certainty and investment. And with the right approach, I’m sure there’s more we can do to deliver inclusive growth.

 “The challenge now is to take those lessons and apply them more widely.  If we do, regional growth won't just be a policy objective. It will become a reality.”

She said: “From speaking to close friends, I know that the transition from education into employment can be incredibly challenging. Many people I studied with spent months applying for roles despite having strong qualifications and relevant skills.

“When you're putting so much time and effort into applications, only to receive rejection after rejection, it can really knock your confidence and make you start questioning yourself. Others have ended up taking jobs outside the fields they originally wanted to work in because opportunities in their chosen area were limited.

“For many young people, the biggest challenge isn't a lack of ability or ambition, it's simply getting that first chance to prove themselves. Seeing the experiences of those around me has made me appreciate even more the pathways into employment that ScottishPower provides.”