Opportunities, accessible with ease.

In 2023, a study by Youth Group found that 63% of young adults aged 18–25 were unaware of the career advice available to them — and nearly half felt blocked from accessing essential guidance.

These figures point to more than a communication gap. They reveal a system in which access to opportunity is often dictated by geography, school resource, or personal networks — not potential.

With rising NEET rates and growing inequities between regions, the need for career services that are inclusive, proactive, and accessible by design has never been more urgent.

The Katalyst Access Campaign is YOUTHOOD’s flagship response — a targeted, youth-led initiative tackling the root causes of career and opportunity inequality for young people aged 14–18.

Because Waiting Isn’t Working

Two-thirds of young people in the UK don’t feel confident navigating their post-18 options (Youth Employment Group, 2023). At YOUTHOOD, we see this not as a failure of young people — but of the systems meant to support them.

We launched Katalyst to challenge the idea that access to opportunity should depend on postcode, confidence, or connections, and to put young people at the centre of shaping a more equitable future.

Katalyst is more than a campaign — it’s a dedicated space to actively explore how access to careers and support can be reshaped with young people, not just for them.

We want to understand what meaningful access really looks like for 14–18-year-olds today, and how schools, employers, and youth organisations can collaborate in ways that are more inclusive, responsive, and long-lasting.

Through digital tools, in-person events, and school-based delivery, we’re creating space to test what works and challenge what doesn’t.

This isn’t about quick wins — it’s about building better foundations for systems that meet the needs of the generation coming through now.

Psst… aged 14-25? We need your help!

We’ve just launched the Katalyst Access Survey — your chance to help shape something big. From the careers platform we’re building to the kind of youth voice spaces and support services that actually work, this is your moment to say what’s missing — and what you’d change.

It takes just 10–15 minutes (yep, about the length of a decent playlist), and your insight will directly shape what we build next.

Have Your Say

The Katalyst for What’s Next.

Katalyst is built around three key strands, designed to meet young people where they are — in schools, in their regions, and online. Each strand reflects our commitment to equity, creativity, and youth-driven design.

Katalyst Digital Platform

We intend to launch a youth-designed digital platform that gives young people a central space to explore careers, access real opportunities, and grow their confidence — all in a format that works for them.

Co-created with young people and partners, the platform will serve as a springboard for exploration, empowerment, and visibility — both in and beyond the classroom.

Our Proposed

Platform Features

The platform’s main page, designed with a user-friendly interface, will feature tailored, recommended opportunities for young adults across the UK. Organisations will be able to post listings for apprenticeships, skills development courses, work experience programmes, events, and opportunities to participate in surveys or projects. With content loosely personalised to each user’s location and interests, the platform creates a centralised space for young adults to discover and engage with diverse opportunities easily.
The platform’s main feature is a dedicated section allowing young adults to explore various organisations that have established Access Networks on the site. By joining an organisation’s Access Network, young adults can gain valuable career support, industry exposure, and networking. While the management of these networks lies with the respective organisations, there is an expectation that they provide a broad range of experiences, including career exploration, mentoring, and interactive discussions.
Katalyst will amplify the voices of Experienced Adolescents in policy-making. The platform will feature a dedicated section that allows young adults to engage in Policy Roundtables, including youth panels, conferences, and focus groups hosted by various organisations. This space will empower young adults to actively shape the policies and systems that affect their lives, where their insights and ideas can influence meaningful change. It aims to boost young adults' involvement and build their confidence in sharing their creative thoughts.
Katalyst will host a Resource Centre, designed to ensure all young adults can access essential services, information, and guidance. Through the digital space, young adults can find articles on crucial topics that help them navigate the challenges of adolescence and early adulthood. Additionally, it will provide links to external services offering support in areas such as healthcare, education, and wellbeing. By providing comprehensive resources, Katalyst aims to equip young adults with self-care, confidence and resilience.

careers mentoring

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work experience

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skills courses

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youth panels

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all in one accessible space

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careers mentoring | work experience | skills courses | youth panels | all in one accessible space |

Campaign Next Steps

As a new charitable campaign, we are actively seeking support and advice on the process of setting up and navigating the establishment of a charitable venture. As I look to grow a core team any guidance—whether regarding legal, operational, or strategic steps—would be greatly appreciated. We warmly welcome insights from experienced professionals, as this will help ensure the campaign is built on strong foundations of which it can kickstart its developmental work.
Partnership is crucial for the platform’s success. Not only do we need a diverse range of organisations and opportunities represented on the site, but we also require strong relationships with government-affiliated agencies, youth charities, schools, and colleges to effectively promote the platform to young adults. From a development standpoint, these partnerships will help raise awareness and drive youth engagement, ensuring the platform remains both functional and impactful.
The Katalyst Digital Forum comes with significant financial hurdles. While we plan to secure funding through partnerships with nationwide agencies and government departments, alongside introducing a small maintenance fee for organisations on the platform, we recognise the need for expert guidance in setting up a sustainable financial framework. Seeking advice on how to approach fundraising, and financial management is a critical focus of ours, to ensure the platform faces minimal operational challenges.
Developing a nationwide digital platform in both website and app form is a new venture for us. While we currently lack coding expertise, we also understand the need for a thorough, multi-step process to ensure the final product is scalable and fit for national use. YOUTHOOD seeks guidance on approaching this development journey, with the aim of connecting with organisations experienced in digital platform creation. Additionally, we’re looking for passionate individuals who align with our vision and can bring their technical skills to help us build a robust and impactful platform.

could you help make this campaign happen?

Regional Careers Conventions

We aim to deliver a range of regional events that bring careers to life — helping young people explore, connect and imagine what’s possible. Each event is crafted to be interactive, intentional, and radically more youth-friendly than a traditional careers fair.

From hands-on experiences to honest conversations, Katalyst events are built to inspire action, not just tick a box.

Sector Showcase Zones

Exploration through experience.

Katalyst’s Sector Showcase Zones aims to turn the typical “stand-and-stare” careers fair into something much more hands-on. We plan to create immersive, themed industry zones where young people can try activities, ask questions, and see what jobs actually look like in practice. From prototyping in tech to testing tools in construction, it’s all about getting involved. Each zone will feel more like a discovery hub than a school corridor.

This kind of experience helps make the abstract feel real. Careers aren’t just titles on a leaflet — they become actions, passions, and possibilities. For students who might never have thought certain paths were “for them,” these tasters help break the barrier. It’s about sparking interest, building confidence, and expanding horizons.

Sector Zones will be delivered in partnership with local employers and hosted at multi-school venues or large secondary schools. They’ll be designed to rotate around regions, meaning every young person gets a shot at exploring industries face-to-face. With a balance of information and interaction, these events will be practical, playful, and packed with purpose. Whether students leave with a new ambition or a new question, they’ll leave with something that matters.

Industry Roundtable Series

Fewer leaflets. More real talk.

Forget long rows of stalls and awkward small talk — this event series is all about stripped-back, honest conversations. The Roundtable Series will bring together students and professionals in small-group settings for youth-led, face-to-face discussion. It’s “careers café” energy: relaxed, respectful, and full of the stuff students actually want to know. Apprentices, entrepreneurs, and young employees will join in to share what it’s really like.

This setup makes space for curiosity, not just credentials. Young people get to ask questions that don't usually make the cut — the kind that help them see the person behind the profession. It turns intimidating job titles into relatable experiences and shows that there’s no single “right” path. It’s access without pressure, guidance without the gloss.

These events will be hosted across venues like libraries, youth centres, universities, and co-working spaces — places that feel open and community-based. They’re deliberately intimate, involving just a handful of schools at a time, so the conversation stays meaningful. For schools, they offer a powerful mix of PSHE, employer engagement, and personal development. For students, they offer connection — something you can’t download or read in a brochure.

Skills Lab Workshops

Because soft skills shouldn’t be soft options.

The Skills Lab flips the script on “employability” workshops. We plan to deliver fast-paced, carousel-style sessions focused on real, usable skills — from how to pitch an idea, to building a standout CV, to confidently navigating interviews or launching your own side project. These labs are less about worksheets and more about workshop energy. Think mini masterclasses delivered by local professionals, apprenticeships teams, and youth mentors.

Young people leave with more than just information — they leave with something they’ve done. That might be a first draft CV, a personal strengths map, or a group challenge they’ve helped solve. It’s designed to be active and energising, helping students recognise their own potential through small, practical wins. When we say “skills for life,” we mean skills they can use the next day.

Skills Labs can be offered in schools, alongside Sector Showcase Zones, or as part of inset-style enrichment days. They’re built to slot easily into timetables, aligning with PSHE, careers learning, or wider enrichment goals. For teachers, they’re flexible and purposeful. For students, they’re empowering, confidence-boosting, and genuinely useful.

The Katalyst Regional Careers Expo

At the end of each academic year, we aim to bring everything together at the Katalyst Careers Expo — our flagship event, designed to be bold, inspiring, and unforgettable. This large-scale, region-wide experience will combine all three strands: sector showcases, skills workshops, and live youth-led panels. It’s a one-day opportunity for hundreds of young people to explore what’s out there — and who’s behind it. Think festival vibes with a futures focus.
For young people, it’s more than just a field trip — it’s a rare chance to explore, engage, and feel seen. They can build networks, discover new routes, and even share their voice directly through pop-up feedback hubs and youth stages. The Expo is about shifting energy from “careers talk” to careers action. It’s where big ideas, small insights, and brave questions all get a space.
Designed with partners across education, industry and youth services, the Expo is intended to become a key annual event in the regional calendar. It will offer CPD opportunities for staff, brand visibility for organisations, and rich content for schools to build into their post-16 planning. It’s a moment of convergence — where the promise of Katalyst becomes something tangible, powerful, and collective.

From Year 9 to Leavers' Hoodies

Like everything you see? So do we — and we believe students deserve access to these kinds of opportunities throughout their time in secondary school. That’s why we’re developing these strands into a cohesive, five-year careers journey, designed to complement what schools are already doing and support students from Year 9 to Year 13.

We know schools are doing a lot — so our goal is to offer something that’s practical, purposeful, and genuinely engaging for students, while slotting easily into the academic calendar. As the programme evolves, we’ll be working closely with partners and careers leads to shape something that feels useful, sustainable, and exciting.

Student Navigation Days

Navigation Days are in-school events for Year 10 and Year 12 students, focused on career exploration and post-18 preparation. Delivered by our Student Impact Outreach teams — trained university volunteers — they bring relatable, real-world guidance straight into the classroom.

Year 10: Industry Takeover Day

Industry Takeover Day is an in-school careers event designed to introduce Year 10 students to the world of work before they make key subject and pathway decisions. The day is built around interactive workshops, hands-on tasters, and sessions led by local employers and professionals — helping students explore sectors they might not usually encounter. It’s practical, energised, and centred around curiosity and confidence-building. By bringing the real world into the classroom, it aims to help students begin to shape what their future could look like.

The format is designed to align smoothly with school careers strategies and support key Gatsby Benchmarks, including encounters with employers and access to labour market information. It also fits within PSHE guidance around goal setting, personal development, and future aspirations. For staff, it's a ready-to-go enrichment offer that supports option decisions and early careers literacy without adding planning pressure. For students, it's a chance to try something new, meet professionals, and imagine more.

Year 12: Post-18 Preparation Day

Post-18 Preparation Day supports Year 12 students as they begin planning for life after school — whether that's university, apprenticeships, employment, entrepreneurship or a mix of all four. Through carousel-style workshops co-delivered with regional partners, students explore options, learn practical skills, and gain clarity about the next stage of their journey. It’s a focused, energetic day that brings post-18 pathways to life at exactly the right moment. Designed to be inclusive and youth-led, it turns uncertainty into momentum.

The day is mapped against Gatsby Benchmarks focused on further education, personalised guidance, and addressing the individual needs of students. It also supports PSHE outcomes around decision-making, managing change, and preparing for transition. It fits easily into the sixth form calendar, adding depth to UCAS and apprenticeship preparation. For schools, it supports meaningful post-18 planning — and for students, it builds confidence when they need it most.

Where They Fit in the Journey

Navigation Days form a key part of our long-term vision to build a joined-up, five-year careers experience — one that supports students from their first moments of curiosity in Year 9 to the point of post-18 decision-making in Year 13. Each event is carefully timed to meet students when it matters most, offering the right support at the right stage.

For schools, it offers a flexible and meaningful way to embed age-appropriate experiences that align with Gatsby Benchmarks, PSHE outcomes, and long-term transition planning. For students, it’s a chance to feel supported, prepared, and excited about what’s next — every step of the way.