LONDON, Sept. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Skills competitions could soon be in a ‘class of their own’ when it comes to equipping NEETs to get off benefits and into the workplace – the Milburn Commission has been told.

WorldSkills UK is proposing that a raft of skills competitions be introduced directly to colleges and classrooms, to give young people a different way of developing the skills and confidence they need for employment.

At the heart of WorldSkills UK’s plans are new regional skills competitions which would bring education providers and employers together in a new way to invest in the next generation and boost the local economy.

The ‘Lost Generation’ of more than a million young people not in employment, education or training, are in danger of being sidelined from the world of work for good, according to Alan Milburn’s interim report.

Following discussions with the Milburn Commission, WorldSkills UK is planning to design a project to provide key stage 3 and 4 learners (aged from 11-16) with the tools that they need to secure careers in a wide spectrum of skills.

Further interaction with the Commission, to fully outline the proposal, is planned in the days to come.

This operation directly inserts skills into the curriculum and would run in tandem with rolling out regional skills competitions to the 16 – 19-year-old cohort.

They propose an intensive period of consultation with educators, employers and government officials to ensure it maximises the opportunity so that young people are readily employable and are able to immediately contribute to the workplace. WorldSkills UK’s proposal is driven by new research conducted by Public First for WorldSkills UK, which showed that while 90% of employers consider work experience important for developing workplace skills, 74% of employers believe that skills competitions would be an important part in a package of solutions.

Emma Roberts, External Affairs Director, WorldSkills UK said: "We need to think outside the box when it comes to preparing young people for work and this report shows huge appetite from employers for skills competitions to be part of the solution.

“Too many young people don’t have the skills, experience and mindset employers need. We cannot afford to leave this generation to find out what the workplace demands only after they have entered it.

“If we are serious about ensuring every young person is equipped to thrive in the workplace, we need to give them more opportunities to develop the work-ready skills employers need.

“Participating in skills competitions offers a cost-effective and scalable opportunity to make sure young people leave education and training not just with the right qualifications, but with experience of coping with workplace challenges and meeting employer needs, giving them the confidence to succeed when they transition to work.”

The WorldSkills UK report, due out on September 22, shows that 61% of respondents believe that school does not equip young people with the necessary workplace skills. That figure rises regionally to 69% in Wales and 68% in Yorkshire & Humber.

Employers are genuinely concerned about the challenges with nearly half of employers, 46% believing that young people are simply unprepared to enter the workplace.

Regional variations are marked with most regions reporting in the range 40%- 51% and concern dropping to 34% in London. Over a third of employers (34%) cite a need for additional training as a barrier to hiring young people, with the digital and technology sector being particularly affected (46%).

Fixing this gap could give the economy a much-needed lift with 70% of employers saying recruits with the right skills could boost their company’s revenue. This is particularly true for key industrial strategy sectors like advanced manufacturing (80%), construction (74%), digital and technology (82%), financial services (75%) and creative industries (79%).

The report comes on the eve of the world’s biggest skills competition – WorldSkills – which takes place in Shanghai from September 22nd – 27^th. The UK will be entering a team of 28 young people, who will compete against 80 countries, in a diverse range of disciplines including renewable energy, bricklaying, health and social care, 3D Games Design and Robot Systems Integration. Each competition is a high-performance test of precision and endurance. Pearson, the lifelong learning company, is the official partner of Team UK for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.

WorldSkills is globally recognised as the ultimate benchmark of skills excellence, where nations go head-to-head to prove their ability to power future industries and economic growth. This year’s event in Shanghai is expected to attract more than 250,000 visitors, alongside government leaders, global employers and education experts.

Notes to Editors

Public First conducted an online survey of 2,009 UK employers across the private and public sector between the 30^th April and 29^th May 2026. Results were weighted to match nationally representative proportions for business size and sector. The employers held decision-making responsibility over recruitment and hiring at their workplace.

www.worldskillsuk.org

Further media information, interviews and WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 information call Dan Kirkby 07785 392735 dan@dkpr.co.uk

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fb0a0779-b7b1-4e43-bfea-4e5e8d50c398

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