Our first trial of employer practice to understand what employers can do to effectively support marginalised young people enter and stay in good work.
What are we doing?
As the What Works Centre for youth employment, we conduct high-quality research and collaborate with employers to make evidence-informed decisions about their policies, practices and culture that drives systems change.
Starting in 2024, we are looking to work with employers to:
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- Examine the current approaches and challenges employers have recruiting and retaining young people in their specific business context
- Co-design and implement potential solutions
- Evaluate impact and effectiveness through Randomised Controlled Trials
- Understand the outcomes for both young people and employers
Through the multi-year employer trials programme, we hope to build understanding of what works, and share practical insights that will benefit employers, young people and wider society.
What are Randomised Control Trials?
A Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) is a type of high-quality scientific experiment typically used in medical research.
RCTs are often considered the “gold standard” for generating evidence, as randomisation is used to reduce or remove sources of bias, allowing us to rigorously examine cause-effect relationships between a change in practice, or ‘intervention’, and an outcome. For example, the impact of anonymising job applications on the diversity of new recruits.
The challenge
In the largest survey of young people from ethnic minority backgrounds carried out in Britain, we found that almost a third (30%) of respondents who are not in education, employment, or training believe that prejudice or discrimination is the single biggest barrier preventing them from entering the workforce.
For employment to work for all young people, we need to understand what employers can do.
Collaborate with us
Who can take part?
We are looking to partner with employers across all sectors who:
- Employ or recruit at least 300 roles relevant to young people a year; and
- Are interested and able to make responsive changes to their recruitment and retention policies.
If you’re unsure about the eligibility criteria, please get in touch.
What are the benefits of participating?
- Receive bespoke support to design and implement potential improvements to your recruitment and retention practices.
- Get expert analysis of the effectiveness of the changes to practice tested in achieving organisational objectives, such as Equality Diversity and Inclusion goals.
- Build your reputation as an evidence-focused and innovative employer.
- Demonstrate your commitment to social value and EDI.
How do I express interest?
We’re currently inviting expressions of interest. If you would like to participate in trials for 2024 or 2025, please email our team, or book a call by end of August 2024 to find out more.
If you would like to explore working with us in a different capacity, we’d love to hear from you.
You can also sign up to our newsletter below to receive updates on our work, and share this opportunity with your network.
“Generating and curating high-quality evidence is at the heart of what we do at Youth Futures Foundation. Through these employer trials, we will develop a more detailed picture of what really works for both employers and employees, enabling informed decision making that creates real change for young people.”
Barry Fletcher, CEO, Youth Futures Foundation
Join us in our mission.
If you’re an employer that wants to make an impact on today’s workforce, get in touch. We’re here to help. We have resources and guidance that can help you take action.
