Milburn Calls for Careers Education to Begin at Age Four in England's Primary Schools

Children in England should begin learning about careers and the world of work from the very start of primary school, according to Alan Milburn, the former minister leading a major government-commissioned review into youth unemployment and inactivity. Under his proposals, pupils as young as four would be introduced to different professions, while work experience placements would become a compulsory part of the curriculum for all 14- to 16-year-olds.

Milburn, who has been examining the growing number of young people not in education, employment or training (Neet), argues that the seeds of disengagement are often sown long before teenagers reach the end of compulsory schooling. Speaking to the BBC, he said the purpose of careers learning in primary years is to open children's eyes and help them understand what possibilities exist beyond their immediate experience.

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics underline the scale of the challenge. Between April and June 2026, an estimated 981,000 people aged 16 to 24 across the UK were classified as Neet. Although successive governments have invested in apprenticeships and work experience programmes for Years 10 and 11, Milburn's review suggests that for many young people the path towards becoming Neet begins much earlier than their sixteenth birthday.

His answer is to embed career awareness throughout the school journey rather than treating it as a late-stage intervention. He proposes that dedicated curriculum time be set aside for broadening pupils' horizons, with employers invited into primary classrooms to give talks and run taster sessions. "It'd be good if employers came into schools and said, 'Look, this is what's going on, these are things that are possible,'" he told the BBC.

For older pupils in Key Stage 4, aged 14 to 16, Milburn goes further. He insists that work experience must be mandatory and must take place in a genuine workplace, with employers providing feedback on each student's performance. "Work experience needs to be mandatory. It makes a big difference," he said.

He also highlighted the unequal access that currently exists. Around four in ten young people aged 14 to 16 receive no work experience at all, according to his assessment. In some schools, students are simply told to arrange their own placements, a task that frequently depends on family connections. Milburn warned that this approach often relies on "the network of Mum and Dad", leaving those without such advantages further behind.

These recommendations will appear in the final instalment of his government-commissioned report, which is expected to be published in the autumn. Because education is a devolved matter in the UK, Milburn's review considers the picture across all four nations, but his specific education recommendations apply to England only.

The current position in England is that careers guidance must be offered to students aged 11 to 18, while work experience is not a statutory requirement. The government has previously stated its ambition to guarantee two weeks' worth of work experience for every young person in England. By contrast, Scotland and Wales already require career-based learning in schools from as early as age three, giving them a head start on the approach Milburn is now advocating.

Teaching unions have welcomed the general principle of earlier careers education but have raised concerns about the practical consequences, particularly for primary schools. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), warned that primary schools are already operating under significant pressure. He said that whenever new mandatory requirements are proposed, it is essential to be clear about what might have to give way to make room for them.

Whiteman also pointed to existing initiatives such as Primary Futures, which brings volunteers from a range of professions into schools to challenge stereotypes and raise aspirations. He argued that the earlier young people can connect what they learn in the classroom with the opportunities ahead of them, the better.

Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said that bringing visitors into the classroom can genuinely enlighten children's motivation and instil a sense of passion for opportunities beyond the school gates. He acknowledged, however, that sourcing such opportunities could prove more difficult in rural areas, where access to a broad range of employers is more limited.

Parents themselves appear divided on the proposal. Emma, a grandmother from Kirklees with grandchildren in Years 1, 2 and 4, believes primary school is too young for careers talks. She said there is already too much pressure on small children to grow up quickly and urged that they simply be allowed to be little kids. Another parent, Zoe, takes the opposite view. She said learning about work early makes sense because everyone has to do it eventually, so beginning sooner means it does not have to be learned later on.

The debate touches on a wider question about what primary education is for. Supporters of Milburn's approach see careers awareness as a way to raise aspirations and reduce the risk of long-term disengagement, especially for children from disadvantaged backgrounds who may lack professional role models. Critics worry that adding formal careers content risks squeezing the already crowded primary timetable and pushing adult concerns onto very young children.

Either way, the scale of the Neet problem means the issue is unlikely to fade. With close to a million young people not in education, employment or training, Milburn's final report this autumn will intensify pressure on the government to decide how early intervention should work in practice, and how to ensure that every school, regardless of location or resources, can deliver it fairly.