Why Small Businesses Have a Bigger Role Than Ever in Shaping Sheffield's Future Workforce
11th September 2026
Young people want practical careers guidance and workplace experience. Sheffield's SMEs can bridge the gap by supporting placements, visits and mentoring, helping students become work-ready while securing future talent for local businesses.
Why Small Businesses Have a Bigger Role Than Ever in Shaping Sheffield's Future Workforce
September marks a fresh start in education. It's a time when we welcome new students, celebrate those moving on to university, apprenticeships and employment, and reflect on how we can better prepare young people for the opportunities and challenges ahead.
This year, several headlines have been difficult to ignore:
• "Too many young people still not 'work ready', say employers."
• "Britain's schools are failing its young people – and 1 million NEETs are paying the price."
Whether you agree entirely with these assessments or not, they point towards a growing challenge. Many young people are uncertain about their future career paths, while employers are increasingly concerned about where their future workforce will come from and whether young applicants have the skills needed to succeed.
For small and medium-sized businesses, this matters.
The Challenge Employers Are Facing
Research for the Department for Work and Pensions found that 41 of employers believe a lack of soft skills and work readiness is one of the main barriers to hiring young people. Employers also cited limited work experience and resilience as concerns.
While these findings are often discussed in relation to large corporations, the reality is that the majority of young people will build their careers within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). These businesses are the backbone of our local economy, providing most of the opportunities available to young people entering work.
If SMEs feel unable or unwilling to recruit young people, we face a difficult cycle. Businesses struggle to fill skills gaps, while young people struggle to gain the experience that employers are asking for.
Young People Know They Need More Support
It's important to recognise that many young people are fully aware of the challenges they face.
Recent research by careers platforms Springpod and Amberjack found that nearly 83 of young people want careers advice that is realistic rather than aspirational. Almost 69 said they prefer clear, practical guidance that explains exactly what steps they need to take.
One young respondent summed it up perfectly:
"I'd love the opportunity to shadow an employer or professional at their workplace to experience their day-to-day role and the traits needed to succeed."
Young people are not asking for inspirational slogans. They are asking for genuine insight into working life.
That is something only employers can truly provide.
Why Early Workplace Experiences Matter
A recent report from the Social Market Foundation highlighted something that many employers will already recognise intuitively: a person's first experience of work can have a lasting impact on their future career.
A positive first experience can build confidence, skills, ambition, and resilience. A negative experience can have the opposite effect, lowering expectations and limiting progression.
For businesses, this presents an opportunity. Every work placement, workplace visit, mentoring conversation, or short-term project can help a young person understand what work really involves while building the skills employers consistently tell us they want to see.
The Reality for Young People in Sheffield
At Longley Park Sixth Form, we serve communities facing some of the lowest levels of social mobility in the country.
Many of our students face significant barriers to opportunity long before they begin considering their careers. The statistics tell a stark story:
• Over half of young people in our constituency receive Free School Meals.
• Relatively few progress through traditional educational routes.
• Only a small percentage go on to become high earners.
For many young people, a lack of access to professional networks and workplace experiences creates additional barriers that can be difficult to overcome.
This is why employer engagement matters so much.
How Businesses Can Make a Difference
We cannot change a student's past experiences. However, together, we can influence what comes next.
That's why an increasing number of Longley Park courses now include meaningful workplace experiences. Students are spending time in real working environments, developing practical skills, understanding workplace expectations and learning how to operate professionally.
For employers, this is not simply an act of corporate responsibility. It is an investment in the future workforce.
By working with young people before they enter the labour market, businesses can:
• Help develop the skills they need most.
• Build awareness of careers within their industry.
• Identify future talent early.
• Contribute to their local community.
• Support economic growth across Sheffield and South Yorkshire.
A Partnership That Benefits Everyone
Preparing young people for work cannot be achieved by schools and colleges alone. The most effective careers education happens when education and employers work together.
We're inviting local businesses to partner with us by:
• Offering work placements.
• Supporting workplace visits.
• Providing industry insight and guest speakers.
• Setting real-world projects for students.
• Advising us on the skills and behaviours your industry needs.
Together, we can help young people gain the confidence, understanding and experience they need to succeed while helping businesses develop the skilled workforce, they will depend upon in the years ahead.
If you would like to explore how your organisation can get involved, we'd love to hear from you.
Contact: careers@longleypark.ac.uk
You Can Start Now!
Are you available to support a series of events we’re scheduling in November:
Next Gen Networking - 9th, 10th or 11th November
The event has been designed to give our students the chance to speak with employers and start building the key skills they need as they become the next generation of workers.
If you are up to it, come and inspire students about their future—whatever path they choose to take. To sign up, use this link:
