This video can not be played
Watch: Teens tell BBC of their hopes and fears as they prepare to start work
More than four in 10 UK teenagers want more work experience opportunities at school, with a similar proportion calling for more guidance on how to apply for jobs, a survey for the BBC suggests.
The online survey, by Survation,, external asked 2,000 young people aged 13 to 18 about the world of work and the help they need to secure employment once they leave full-time education.
Some called for more support with their communications skills and raised concerns about stress management and personal finances.
Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said it was the government's "mission" to ensure teenagers leave school "confident about their next step and equipped with the skills and experience they need to succeed".
When teenagers were asked in the survey what skills or guidance they would like more of at school, the most common responses were more work experience opportunities (44%) and help managing finances (43%).
Respondents said they also wanted guidance on how to apply for jobs (42%) as well as how to manage stress and mental health (39%) and develop their communication skills (38%).
The survey was conducted as part of the Teen Summit, hosted by Radio 5 Live and BBC Bitesize, where teenagers have been discussing different aspects of their lives.
Speaking to Nicky Campbell at the Newcastle event, some said how difficult they found the cost of living.
"I passed my driving test at the start of the year – I've got a car, but insurance prices, fuel prices, are all going up," audience member Haider said.
"I'm paying like £177 a month for a small one-litre [Toyota] Aygo, just because I'm young and we're classed as higher risk."
Ella told the summit teenagers "really struggle" with costs.
"You have to finance £10,000 for university," she said. "Driving lessons are so, so expensive.
"Even for my uni admissions test, I had to pay £75 and then £30 for the books. And I have to get a job because I can't afford all of this."
She said she struggled to find work experience, with most of the "really good" firms that had availability being "down south in London".
"When we talk about opportunities, it's good if you're in the right place, but if you're not then you're stuck," she added.
This video can not be played
What do teens think of their job opportunities?
Ahead of the summit, the BBC followed four of the young people involved – Param, McKenzie, Jasmine and Javaris – as they went on work experience placements.
"I'm terrified about the future. I feel very uncertain about it," 15-year-old Jasmine said.
Jasmine said she enjoyed her placement working on logo designs at web design and development agency Readysalted.
But she said the placement made her realise she was probably unsuited to an office job.
"Hats off to all the workers that have to do this every single day," she said.
She said it gave her a real taste of working life, but that she was still worried about making "the wrong decision" around what to do next.
"I think about exams and not getting the right grades, which leads to not getting into the right course and then not getting into university, and it's very stressful," she said. "That's always on my mind."
Jasmine said she was determined to make the right choices with what she does after school
A 15-minute walk up the road from Jasmine's placement, near the centre of Newcastle, her classmate Param had his work experience at social housing group Re:Gen.
Param said it showed him there was more to work than simply having the right knowledge and understanding.
"Social skills are just as important as academic skills," he said, after a day of meeting clients and working with people he had never met before.
Are teenagers ready for work?
BBC Radio 4 – Currently
He also spent time with staff carrying out quality checks on social houses, looking for loose fittings or uneven surfaces.
"It's given us a taste of the real world," he said. "It's bringing us out of our comfort zones."
As an aspiring pilot, he said schools should not just provide work experience opportunities, but also additional teaching on other aspects of adult life outside of work.
"We need to know about houses, mortgages, selling and tax," he said.
Param said he enjoyed working with new people, which brought him out of his comfort zone
Javaris, who spent a week's placement at Siemens Energy alongside friend and classmate McKenzie, also said their work experience challenged his social skills in a new setting.
"I've really never been in a workplace with people I don't know, having to socialise and having to teach me about things I've never learned before," he said.
Javaris ultimately wants to become a doctor, but said the week had given him an insight into how different parts of a company are run.
McKenzie, who wants to study chemistry or become a firefighter, said he enjoyed speaking with people in different jobs and seeing the differences between "hands-on" roles and office work.
Javaris and McKenzie were able to learn about how a business is run at Siemens Energy
In light of AI and new technologies in the workplace, nearly a third of teenagers responding to the survey (32%) said they thought school was preparing them badly for the future of work – although more than half of teenagers said it was preparing them well.
It was an issue that was brought up repeatedly at the Newcastle summit.
Teenager Laaibah said she thought AI being in public hands was "a lot more dangerous than we think it is".
"I think when you are outsourcing all of your problems to AI, when you're using AI for homework, for planning everything, you are losing your critical thinking skills," she said.
Isla, meanwhile, said she was worried about her future career.
"How are we meant to know what job we want to do when we're older if there's a chance AI may have taken over that job by the time we get there?" she said.
This video can not be played
Teens ask bosses what they're really looking for
On Sunday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he wanted the government to "invest in the success of our young people", with plans for thousands of job opportunities expected this week.
Despite the backdrop of AI and a tough jobs market, more than three-quarters of teens surveyed said they still felt positive about their future.
In the weeks since their work experience placements, all four students have said they feel clearer about their future opportunities.
Javaris said he thinks work experience should be mandatory, and that it "really gives you an insight of what to expect [as] you get older".
For Jasmine, who prior to her placement was worried about what the future might hold, things now feel a little less uncertain.
After talking to her school careers adviser, she is considering studying psychology.
"I was kind of worried that I wouldn't get the grades I wanted. I still am a bit," she said.
"But I definitely know now that even if you don't get grade nines, you'll still have a future and you can still be happy with your job."
Listen to more from Teen Summit on BBC Radio 5 Live from 0900
Are you a young person or parent with thoughts on this? Get in touch.
BBC Bitesize Guide to School Life
Other Side of the Story
Watch our pick of standout clips from across the BBC
Government failures allowed Covid to 'spread like wildfire' in care homes, inquiry says
Covid failings in care homes: What the inquiry says
Google Cloud says services are recovering after outage hit banks, businesses, and courts
I have a condition people are too embarrassed to talk about
The singles choosing in-person dating events over apps
'I started ketamine at 14 and needed nappies at 22' – the rise of young people going to rehab
'We didn't know a cold sore could kill a baby'
The portraits that helped bring the lost Aberfan children home
Inside the shadowy world of anti-Putin sabotage from within Russia
Don't fall for this – how to protect yourself from AI scams
'It gives me the ick': Can you cheat on someone with a video game?
US Politics Unspun: Cut through the noise with Anthony Zurcher's newsletter
First look: Blue Planet III is coming soon
Catch up with what the jury heard on day six of the trial
First look: Bob and Paul cast off for a new adventure
How much wealth is too much? Naomi Klein joins Gabriel Gatehouse
BBC Three, BBC Scotland and Radio 4 Extra broadcast channels to close
North Korea publishes photos of Kim Jong Un – why do rumours of his death keep coming back?
Student who stabbed housemate 30 times admits murder
I have a condition people are too embarrassed to talk about
Man charged with attack on Australian MP as suspect's father says she is family friend
UK to deploy jets to defend Saudi Arabia from Houthi attacks
Storm Austen to bring severe gales to UK as weather warning issued
'I started ketamine at 14 and needed nappies at 22' – the rise of young people going to rehab
Woman describes alleged assault by Russell Brand as 'frenzied' and 'violent'
Covid failings in care homes: What the inquiry says
Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
About the Author
