As a Barclays LifeSkills facilitator – and former teacher – I have spent nearly a decade moving between classrooms, staff rooms, and schools supporting countless young people aged 4 to 18. In all that time the conversations about career education have remained the same.

As we come to the end of National Careers Week’s 2026, it feels like the moment to share those insights, and for businesses to listen. The theme of the week is “Own Your Future”, but the big question is how can you be it if you can’t see it?

Schools continue to support subject choices and applications for UCAS, colleges or apprenticeships, but with another round of funding cuts hitting Northern Ireland’s education sector, schools need support more now than ever.

So, what can businesses do? From my own experience in the classroom, and conversations in hundreds of classrooms since, here’s what teachers want future employers and businesses to know.

1.   Young people need to see you earlier – not just when they’re about to leave school

Many students don’t have the opportunity to engage with future employers and businesses until they are at GCSE level (age 13 or 14) or beyond, but by then beliefs about what they can do have already begun to form.

Did you know that?

By 13 years old…

• The list of jobs a person will consider is largely set. Factors like gender and status play a large role in this.

By 15 years old…

• 50% of all students are aspiring to just ten occupations
• Uncertain or misaligned aspirations at this stage mean that young people are significantly more likely to face unemployment or lower wages in their 20s

By 16 years old…

• Job aspirations expressed now are strong predictors of what that person will be doing at age 33 (particularly for STEM and health fields)

References: (Gottfredson) (OECD)

Meaningful, and consistent engagement needs to start far earlier, before these preconceptions and biases set in. Helping young people “own their future” starts with showing them what’s possible and inspiring them to follow careers they didn’t even know existed.

2.   Be honest about what the world of work is really like

Learners aren’t looking for perfect role models or glossy depictions of the workplace. Sharing authentic stories prepares students for the real world of work where we make mistakes, ask for help, and don’t always get it right.

They’ll learn best and be inspired most by people who share their honest, lived experiences. When I run LifeSkills sessions, the learners are most engaged with stories based on honest, real-life experiences:

• Stories about job interviews
• New job nerves
• Unconventional career paths
• Overcoming something that went wrong at work

By showing young people the reality of the workplace, we show them that owning their future means growing, adapting, and trying.

3.   Help translate classroom skills into workplace skills

I’ve lost count of how many CV and interview skills sessions I’ve delivered where learners insist that they have “no experience” and “no skills”.

Yet in schools and colleges, young people are collaborating daily, solving problems constantly, and adapting to new challenges all the time. They rarely recognise that these everyday behaviours are exactly the transferable skills employers value.

Businesses can make a huge difference here by helping young people connect the dots:

• Group work → teamworking, collaboration, communication
• School project → planning, organisation, time management
• Navigating new tasks or subjects → adaptability, resilience, willingness to learn

Future employers stepping in to highlight these transferable skills helps young people understand what they can already bring to the workplace – a crucial step in empowering them to own their future.

4.   Make your opportunities accessible to all students

Every student comes to employer encounters with very different levels of confidence. Some pupils will eagerly volunteer for every opportunity and employer engagement opportunity offered, while others may hang back, unsure if the opportunity is meant for “someone like them”.

Businesses can help by:

• Diversifying who comes into schools
• Offering regular virtual or bite-sized employer interactions
• Creating low pressure sessions where students can ask honest questions
• Showcasing role models from varied backgrounds and pathways

When experiences feel welcoming and inclusive to all, more young people feel they have permission to explore and learn about all the options open to them.

5.   Understand the pressure our young people are under

Teachers consistently share how overwhelmed their students feel by the pressure to make important decisions. GCSE and A-Level subject choices, apprenticeships, college, university, part time work, work experience, and a career decision – the list is long.

That’s why hearing from real people who have been where they are can be so important, especially those who share real experience such as:

• Not knowing what they wanted to do at 16
• Changing careers later in life
• Trying different paths
• Learning from setbacks

Stories like these help young people see that uncertainty is normal and that careers rarely follow a neat, linear route. Most of us have been in at least one of those situations ourselves, and being open about it shows young people that their future doesn’t depend on a single “right” choice.

In a nutshell

Your presence matters – and the earlier the better.

Your time and stories are vital in inspiring young people. Teachers are in the classroom doing incredible work preparing young people for life beyond school, but they need the support of businesses to bring the world of work to life in a way that no lesson plan ever could.

How will you help young people Own Their Future?

National Careers Week 2026 is the perfect time for employers to step forward: be visible, share stories, give time, and open doors.

You never know – one honest conversation could plant a seed that inspires a young person to imagine a future they never knew was possible and set them on a path that changes their life.

The good news is that you don’t have to do it on your own. If you want to play your part in helping young people ‘own their future’, we are here to help. Get in touch with our Education and Skills team in Business in the Community. Explore our primary and post-primary initiatives and invest in the next generation. It’s what responsible businesses do!