Compass Group UK & Ireland has partnered with Youth Employment UK and social mobility charity Futures For All to launch a new initiative designed to help young people move from education into employment.
The programme forms part of Compass’ wider Classroom to Careers strategy, launched earlier this year to give young people access to skills development, career insight and employment opportunities.
Targeted at students aged 14–19 in state-funded secondary schools and colleges, the latest initiative will provide a three-stage pathway combining digital learning, virtual employer engagement and in-person work experience.
The first stage is an interactive online careers module delivered with Youth Employment UK.
The one-hour programme includes seven learning units, apprentice stories and quizzes covering career paths including culinary and hospitality roles, HR, finance and digital careers.
The platform was launched earlier this year and is already available to 1,000 educators.
The second stage will introduce live virtual workplace sessions with Futures For All from 4–12 February 2027.
These will include workplace simulations, live question-and-answer sessions and direct interaction with industry employees.
Students progressing to the third stage will be offered three-to-five-day in-person work experience placements at Compass Group UK & Ireland venues between May and July 2027.
The programme is being introduced against a backdrop of concerns around the barriers young people face when entering employment.
According to Youth Employment UK’s 2026 Youth Voice Census, 57% of young people identified a lack of work experience as their biggest barrier to employment, while 28% felt confident they had suitable experience.
The research also found that 39% did not believe good-quality jobs were available locally and 18% believed employers were supportive of hiring young people.
Jonathan Foot, Director of Skills and Early Careers at Compass Group UK & Ireland, said: “We believe every young person should have access to the skills, experiences and opportunities that help them build a successful future.
“This is another important milestone in our Classroom to Careers journey – creating clear pathways from education into meaningful employment.
“By bringing together the expertise of Youth Employment UK, Futures For All and Compass, this new course provides a practical solution to the barriers many young people face. Together, we are helping to raise aspirations, improve social mobility and inspire the next generation of talent.”
Laura-Jane Rawlings MBE DL, CEO of Youth Employment UK, said: “Our Youth Voice Census findings clearly show that young people want to work, but a lack of work experience and confidence remains their biggest barrier to securing entry-level roles.
“The Classroom to Careers course offers a direct solution by connecting online career exploration and virtual insight days directly with meaningful, hands-on work experience.
“By partnering with Compass Group UK & Ireland and Futures For All, we are breaking down barriers, empowering state school and college students across the UK, and giving them the real world skills and industry connections they need to thrive in the workplace.”
Nick Brook, CEO of Futures For All, said: “Every young person deserves a real shot at a career, whatever their starting point. That’s what the Classroom to Careers course is about.
“We’re proud to work alongside Compass and Youth Employment UK to open doors into one of the UK’s most vital sectors, giving young people hands-on work experience and the confidence to take their first step.”
The initiative sits alongside other elements of Compass’ Classroom to Careers strategy, including its Junior Chef Academy, apprenticeships, Youth Guarantee activity and virtual work experience platform.
Compass recently expanded its Junior Chef Academy with a target of reaching more than 1,500 students over the next two to three years.
The Classroom to Careers course will be free to UK state-funded schools and colleges.
Students must complete the first stage by 31 December 2026 to become eligible for the virtual insight days and subsequent workplace placements.
Associated Articles
Compass Expands Junior Chef Academy as Programme Targets 1,500 Students
Compass’ expansion of its Junior Chef Academy provides direct context to the wider Classroom to Careers strategy and its aim of introducing more young people to hospitality skills and employment pathways.
Compass Expands Junior Chef Academy as Programme Targets 1,500 Students
Hospitality Could Deliver £2.3bn Economic Benefit by Tackling Youth Unemployment, Report Finds
Research from Hilton and WPI Economics highlighted the economic potential of helping young people into hospitality jobs and identified the lack of previous work experience as a significant barrier to entry.
Hospitality Could Deliver £2.3bn Economic Benefit by Tackling Youth Unemployment, Report Finds
The Best Youth Employment Programme in Britain. It’s Called Hospitality
Professor Peter Jones MBE examines hospitality’s role in providing young people with employment, workplace skills and confidence, adding wider context to the sector’s contribution to youth employment.
The Best Youth Employment Programme in Britain. It’s Called Hospitality
