Columnist

Business must help young people take root in work

We’re always thinking about the long-term in horticulture.

A successful project is not judged on the day it is finished, but on how well it grows, settles and matures over time. 

The same mindset is needed when it comes to our workforce because, right now, the foundations are under pressure.

Latest Office for National Statistics figures show around one in eight young people, more than a million across the UK, are not in education, employment or training. 

Furthermore, former Darlington MP and Health Secretary Alan Milburn’s Government‑commissioned review has warned we risk creating a “lost generation”, with that number potentially rising to 1.25 million – around one in six young people – if nothing changes. 

These are not abstract statistics; they point to a real and growing disconnect between young people and the world of work. 

In my industry, this is something we already feel, because although ours is a sector that contributes billions to the UK economy and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, we face persistent shortages of skilled landscapers and horticulturalists. 

At the same time, too few young people are entering the industry with the practical skills and experience needed to start their career off well. 

The Milburn review is clear this is not a failure of ambition among young people, but a failure of how systems connect them to opportunity. 

Too many are caught in a Catch-22 situation, where employers ask for experience while opportunities to gain it have diminished. 

For businesses, that means a shrinking pipeline of talent just as experienced workers begin to retire or progress, leaving a gap that cannot quickly be filled. 

From my own experience working with Askham Bryan College in Middlesbrough, I have seen how businesses can help address that gap. 

Through my position on the employer advisory board, I work closely with tutors and students to make sure education reflects real workplace needs, while giving young people exposure to live projects, practical expectations and the reality of the job. 

That alignment between learning and doing is critical if we are to prepare students for meaningful careers.

Too often, education and industry exist like separate beds in a garden – close, but not properly connected.

When we bring them together, we create the conditions for growth, ensuring young people develop the right skills and confidence to step into employment.

If we fail to act, the long-term consequences go beyond individual sectors. 

A generation disconnected from work means fewer skilled people coming through, reduced productivity and slower economic growth. 

Like any neglected landscape, the impact compounds over time.

We need to think differently because businesses cannot simply expect talent to appear; we must play our part in cultivating it by offering experience, opening doors and helping build that first step into work.

The workforce of the future will not grow by chance – it has to be planted, supported and sustained from today onwards.

Simon Wilkinson is managing director of Wilkinsons Landscapes

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