Alan Milburn, former minister and author of a major UK government-commissioned report on youth activity, says employers should teach primary-age children about work. His proposal would make work experience mandatory for 14- to 16-year-olds and push careers talks into classrooms as young as four.
The recommendation comes ahead of the final instalment of his report, expected in the autumn. Milburn’s education proposals apply only to England, where careers guidance is already required for students aged 11-18 but work experience is not currently mandated by law.
Milburn’s pitch to employers
Milburn told the BBC that in primary school, the goal is simple: “opening their eyes and giving them a sense about what is possible.” He wants employers to give talks in primary schools and offer taster sessions to children.
For older students, the requirement is stronger. Milburn says work experience must be given in a real workplace with employer feedback for Key Stage 4 pupils aged 14-16. He also pointed to a gap in current provision: “There are about four in ten people aged 14-16 who aren’t getting any work experience at all.”
The scale of youth disconnection
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports that 981,000 people aged 16 to 24 in the UK were not in education, employment or training (Neet) between April and June 2026. That figure underpins the urgency Milburn cites for his proposals.
What parents think
Two parents spoke to the BBC about the idea. Emma, whose grandchildren attend Years 1, 2 and 4, thinks primary school is too young for careers talks. Zoe, another parent, takes the opposite view: “It’s something that everyone has to do, so if you learn early, it’s something they don’t have to learn later on.”
Teaching unions warn of pressure
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), warned of the “significant pressure” already facing primary schools. He pointed to the value of existing programmes like “Primary Futures”, which brings in volunteers from different professions.
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said visits can “enlighten [children’s] motivation… and give them that sense of passion for all the opportunities beyond the classroom”. He noted, however, that finding opportunities in rural areas may be harder.
The UK government’s broader plan
The UK government’s vision is to “guarantee two weeks’ worth of work experience for every young person” in England. That ambition sits alongside Milburn’s narrower focus on employer engagement in schools.
In Scotland and Wales, career-based learning is already required in schools for students as young as three. England’s approach remains distinct, with careers guidance already mandated for 11-18-year-olds but work experience left optional.
What the unions want
The teaching unions have responded positively to the idea of introducing career-based learning into schools at a younger age, but they have warned about the burden this could place on primary schools in particular. Their concerns centre on practical pressures, not ideological objections.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of NAHT, says whenever new mandatory requirements are proposed, it is important to be clear about what might have to give way to make room for them. Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of ASCL, emphasises the value of having someone come into the classroom to enlighten children’s motivation and give them a sense of the opportunities beyond the classroom.
The ONS data shows the scale of the problem: 981,000 young people not in education, employment or training. Milburn’s proposals aim to address that by exposing children to work sooner. But the unions have raised concerns about the practical pressures on schools, and those concerns need to be addressed before any new requirements are added.
The source lists the two unions responding directly:
- Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT)
- Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL)
Their positions are distinct. Whiteman focuses on what might give way to make room for new duties. Di’Iasio emphasises the value of classroom visits for motivation and aspiration. Both warn of practical pressures on primary schools.
The ONS data shows the scale of the problem: 981,000 young people not in education, employment or training. Milburn’s proposals aim to address that by exposing children to work sooner. But the unions have raised concerns about the practical pressures on schools, and those concerns need to be addressed before any new requirements are added.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs employers voluntarily opening children’s eyes to work through careers talks at younger ages and against making such instruction a legal mandate imposed upon schools and employers. It is AGAINST treating politics as a horse race between two machines that both gather power.
Milburn’s proposal would turn voluntary employer outreach into state-mandated duties for schools and workplaces. The teaching unions warn of significant practical pressures on primary schools, and their concerns need to be addressed before any new requirements are added. The paper’s north star is individual freedom, small business and no concentrations of power, and a government-mandated programme gathers power rather than dispersing it.
Readers should follow whether the unions’ warnings about practical pressures are heeded before any new requirements are added. The ONS figure of 981,000 young people not in education, employment or training is real, but the solution must not become another layer of bureaucratic duty piled onto schools and employers.
Source material: “Employers should teach primary-age children about work, says Milburn,” the BBC.
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