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Investors in Young People
Build a workplace where young people want to join, stay and grow.
Young people are starting their careers at a time of rapid technological change, economic uncertainty and shifting expectations of work. They are ambitious, and they are clear about the conditions they need to thrive.
Investors in Young People helps organisations meet them there. It gives you an independent view of your youth employment practice, and a structured route to keep improving it.
Why young people matter to your organisation now
Young people are not a pipeline for later. They shape organisations today.
Organisations that get youth employment right attract the skills their business needs next, develop and keep future leaders, and gain from the creativity and perspective young people bring.
We have worked with thousands of organisations across every sector on this, from those taking their first steps to those we have partnered with for a decade. The message is consistent: investing intentionally in young people creates stronger organisations and better outcomes for individuals, communities and the economy.
Built in Scotland, working across the UK
Investors in Young People launched in Scotland in 2014, developed with young people themselves alongside education providers, employability partners, the Scottish Government, Skills Development Scotland and Developing Young Workforce groups. That grounding in real practice is why it works.
Since then, it has spread well beyond Scotland, taken up by organisations across the UK who want the same clarity about how they attract, develop and keep young talent. The framework has been refreshed twice since launch, most recently to reflect emerging practice in mental health and financial wellbeing, fair work, meta-skills, reverse mentoring and intergenerational working.
What the research tells us
52% of people no longer see leadership roles as aspirational, and 68% of under-35s say leadership looks too stressful.
Young people are not turning away from ambition. They are turning away from what leadership currently looks like. Investors in Young People helps organisations build career pathways young people want to stay in.
82% of managers receive no formal training before stepping into leadership.
The leaders that young people respond to, the ones who coach, listen and take an interest, do not emerge by accident. The framework looks directly at whether the people who manage young people are equipped to do it well.
26% of 25 to 34-year-olds say low trust has weakened their commitment to their organisation.
Trust is where retention starts. Investors in Young People looks at whether young people have a genuine voice, whether it changes anything, and whether they feel safe using it.
Sources: Investors in People, The Broken Ladder, 2025 and The Trust Paradox, 2026
What Investors in Young People helps you build
The framework goes beyond apprenticeships and graduate schemes. It covers the whole experience of being young in your organisation, from attraction and recruitment through to development, wellbeing, having a voice and long-term impact.
Organisations use it to:
- Attract, recruit, develop and retain young talent
- Embed fair work practices and inclusive opportunities
- Develop the meta-skills young people need in a changing world of work
- Build environments grounded in psychological safety, trust and belonging
- Make mental health and financial wellbeing part of everyday experience
- Equip leaders and influencers to support younger colleagues well
- Make use of reverse mentoring and intergenerational learning
- Offer meaningful career mentoring and progression
- Measure what matters, through clear outcomes and impact measures
- Influence change beyond their own walls, improving opportunities across sectors and communities
The result: stronger attraction, better retention, future leaders, enhanced reputation, more inclusive workplaces and sector leadership.
What Investors in Young People assesses
Young people strategy
Whether you have a clear, committed plan for attracting, developing and retaining young people, and whether it connects to your wider business strategy.
Attraction and recruitment
Whether your approach is fair, inclusive and effective, including how you engage with education providers and employability organisations.
Learning
Whether young people are supported through a structured transition into work and given the development they need to grow.
Leading young people
Whether the people who manage and support young people have the skills, confidence and commitment to do it well.
Support and guidance
Whether young people receive regular, constructive feedback and are supported with their mental health and financial wellbeing.
Career development
Whether young people have clear pathways, are supported to develop their talents, and are included in succession planning.
Impact
Whether your investment in young people is measured, and whether that data is used to improve retention, progression and performance.
A voice for young people
Whether young people have a genuine voice, and whether that voice influences decisions at every level.
Accreditation levels: Standard, Silver, Gold and Platinum
Each indicator is assessed against four stages: In Place, Active, Positive Outcomes and Always Improving. The stage describes how deeply youth employment practice is embedded, and the level you achieve is determined by your assessment.
Standard
In place
Leaders, employees and young people understand what it takes to attract, develop and retain young people. Effective practices are in place and communicated.
Awarded when: all eight indicators are met at In Place
Silver
Active
Young people are seen as genuinely important to the business, and youth employment practices are consistent and actively improving.
Awarded when: all eight indicators are met at In Place, and six of eight at Active
Gold
Positive outcomes
Young people, employees and leaders are actively driving positive results and taking ownership of youth employment practice across the organisation.
Awarded when: all eight indicators are met at In Place and Active, and six of eight at Positive Outcomes
Platinum
Always improving
The organisation is at the leading edge of youth employment practice, consistently delivering strong results and taking accountability for continuous improvement.
Awarded when: all eight indicators are met at In Place and Active, and six of eight at Positive Outcomes and Always Improving
Your journey to accreditation
How Investors in Young People works
Accreditation is delivered by an experienced practitioner (there may be more than one) who gets to know your organisation, your young people and your ambitions before assessment begins.
The process includes conversations with young people and the people who lead and influence them. Feedback about what's working well and what you can improve will be presented to you verbally and also through a detailed assessment report.
Your award level will reflect where your organisation genuinely is, and your lead practitioner stays alongside you throughout, offering advice, challenge and support as your youth employment practices develop.
Alongside formal accreditation, organisations can also engage through a Health Check or consultancy advice.
In their words
What organisations say
“Investors in Young People has helped us to truly understand young people and continually improve their experience of work. The framework provides invaluable insights, constructive challenge and ongoing support, encouraging us to embrace emerging youth employment practices and act on recommendations over time. By listening, learning and evolving, we have continued to unlock the potential of our young people, giving them a genuine voice and creating opportunities for them to thrive. Achieving Platinum for a second time reflects our commitment to young people and the lasting impact of our partnership.”
READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP?
Tell us about your organisation and a member of our Investors in Young People team will be in touch.