25/03/2026
There has never been a more important time to focus on young people’s journeys into work.
With recent government announcements placing renewed emphasis on youth employment, skills development, and early intervention, the spotlight is firmly on how we, as a sector, support young people to navigate increasingly complex pathways into sustainable employment.
At the IEP, we’ve been working closely with partners across the sector to ensure employability professionals are equipped with the knowledge, confidence, and practical tools to respond to this challenge.
That’s why we’re excited to introduce our new Youth Employment Support accredited e-learning, developed in partnership with Catch22.
This introductory programme will form part of our ‘included with membership’ offer for IEP members, and we’re inviting you to be part of the pilot.
An Opportunity to Shape What Comes Next
Before we officially launch this programme in April we’re inviting a pilot group of employability professionals to take part in the programme completely free of charge.
This programme is designed as an introduction to youth employment support, with more in-depth specialist learning to follow as part of our wider accredited offer.
This is your opportunity to:
- Access brand-new, specialist learning in youth employment support
- Contribute your insights and experience to shape the final programme
- Help ensure the learning reflects real-world practice and challenges
Why This Matters Now
Young people are facing a unique set of barriers, ranging from mental health challenges and disengagement from education, to a rapidly changing labour market shaped by technology and shifting employer expectations.
At the same time, services are evolving. There is a growing expectation that support is:
- More personalised
- More responsive
- More connected to employers
- Grounded in what actually works
This new programme has been designed with those realities in mind, bringing together sector expertise, frontline insight, and practical application.
Be Part of the Pilot
We are now looking for a small group of practitioners who are:
- Currently working with young people (or planning to)
- Keen to develop their skills in this space
- Willing to share honest feedback to help refine the programme
In return, you’ll gain early access to learning that is designed to support better outcomes for young people – and help shape a programme that will be rolled out across the sector.
What Happens Next
Following the pilot:
- We’ll refine the programme based on your feedback
- Incorporate real insights from frontline practice
- Launch the final version in April, informed by the people who know this work best
Register Your Interest
If you’d like to be part of the pilot group, we’d love to hear from you.
Register your interest here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/IEPYouthEmploymentPilot
Spaces will be limited to ensure we can capture meaningful feedback—so early expressions of interest are encouraged.