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A challenge for the ages

Creating work environments where young people can thrive

Date posted
21 September 2026
Type
Opinion
Author
Dr Chris Davis
Estimated reading time
3 minute read

IOSH Thought Leadership Manager Dr Christopher Davis explains why supporting young workers is about more than just young workers. It’s an issue given sharper focus by the current Milburn Review – which is set to present its final report very soon - and it’s been exercising our Thought Leadership Panel.

Young workers in a cafe

The challenges facing young workers today

The employment landscape facing young workers in 2026 is different to the one their predecessors faced. Compared to only 20 years ago, many people do different sorts of work now – and they do it differently. By choice or by necessity, many people’s employment arrangements are also different. And people possess fundamentally different expectations of what it means to work.

Young workers are not the only ones experiencing this. But they are the ones currently taking first steps into a shifting, fracturing labour market that, quite understandably, feels pretty bewildering. Secure entry-level jobs are hard to come by, discussion about AI and the automation of jobs is rife, and clear gaps exist between the skills employers want and the skills young people have.

Consequently, recent debates about the high numbers of young people out of employment, education, or training don’t really surprise me [1]. Certain assumptions about young workers exist in the popular consciousness, not least that they are somehow unwilling to, or incapable of, work.

To me, this is a narrow view, lacks perspective and misses some key points. The first is that the ecosystem for integrating young people into work – or helping them to stay in work – is not working as it should. The second is that young workers aren’t suitably skilled for the world of work.

What skills do young people need – and how do we develop them?

It is not that young people are unskilled, full stop. In fact, evidence suggests that young people feel particularly well-skilled in certain areas: teamwork or creativity, for example [2]. But they do lack the right skills for the jobs that await them. To be clear, this isn’t a slight on them. Instead, it reflects a long-term failing in the way we identify skill requirements and the way we develop, maintain or refine skills.

Let me give two examples

  • Firstly, high-order cognitive skills.

    In the conversations we’re currently having about AI and automation, in which we seem to try and reassure ourselves by pointing to unique human skills that technology can’t replace, we sometimes overlook the fact that these skills don’t just happen by chance. This should prompt us to ask: are we creating enough space for young people to think critically or analytically? Do we really provide ample opportunities for them to become the emotionally intelligent, ethically minded workers we believe will thrive in future workplaces?

  • Secondly, resilience.

    When we talk about a lack of resilience in young workers, do we pause to reflect on why this might be the case, or whether we are actively doing enough to build the sort of resilience that is required in work?

The Milburn Review

We are currently awaiting the final report of the UK’s review into young people and work undertaken by former cabinet minister Alan Milburn. At the review’s interim stage, Milburn highlighted shortcomings across a range of UK institutions: education, healthcare, welfare, and the labour market [3]. There are clearly lots of pieces to this particular puzzle.

However, we should begin even now – in our capacity as policymakers, employers, or organisational experts – to consider two connected questions: whether the work we provide is sustainable for young people and whether the skillsets of young people are the right ones to sustain them in work.

Dr Christopher Davis speaking at an event
Dr Christopher Davis – IOSH Thought Leadership Manager

Personally, I see a need but also a huge opportunity

There is an opportunity to fundamentally rethink how we approach skills and the value we place on developing them.

By investing more time, resources and attention in meaningful skill-building, we can better prepare people for the changing demands of work and help create stronger, more resilient workplaces.

Not only for young workers but for all workers. There has been a revolution in recent years in the availability, affordability, and accessibility of learning and development material. But genuine skill-building goes deeper and is a more profound exercise.

Equipping young workers with the skills they need (and which we herald as ‘skills for the future’) will both support their personal development and keep them in work. But crucially, it will also support productivity and broader economic growth. Given this is a global challenge, others will no doubt be watching the UK closely.

IOSH Thought Leadership Panel

  • First met in March 2024
  • Meets four times a year
  • Chaired by Dr Christopher Davis
  • Consists of 12 Chartered Fellows of IOSH

Its purpose

By discussing emerging topics and burning questions of the day, the panel provides valuable expertise to build knowledge, encourage debate, and promote the influence of IOSH’s thought leadership across the world. This helps shape the future of occupational safety and health.

Current panel members

  • Nick Bell CFIOSH
  • Rob Bullen CFIOSH
  • Kieran Doona CFIOSH
  • Craig Foyle CFIOSH
  • Daniel J Harrison CFIOSH
  • Tina Morgan CFIOSH
  • Andrew Morris CFIOSH
  • Simon Naish CFIOSH
  • Steven Osborn CFIOSH
  • Michelle Stark CFIOSH
  • Shelley Stiles CFIOSH
  • David Thomas CFIOSH

Make your voice heard

Our Thought Leadership Panel is keen to hear from safety and health professionals of all kinds to help inform their discussions. Email us directly with your views and, where relevant, we’ll share them with the whole panel.

Works Cited

[1] ILO, Global Employment Trends for Youth 2026: Back to the future. 11-Aug 2026. Available at: https://www.ilo.org/publications/major-publications/global-employment-trends-youth-2026-back-future

[2] Youth Employment, Youth Voice Census 2025. Available at: youthemployment.org.uk/dev/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Youth-Voice-Census-2025-Results-Report-1.pdf

[3] UK Department for Work and Pensions, Independent Report: Young People and work: interim report. 10-Aug 2026. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/young-people-and-work-interim-report/young-people-and-work-interim-report

Last updated: 21 September 2026

Dr Chris Davis

Job role
Thought Leadership Manager
Company
IOSH