As employers prepare for the new recruitment cycle, the skills conversation is changing. An ISE webinar explored what employers are looking for and how young people can develop and demonstrate them .
AI is beginning to reshape entry-level roles, but the message from employers is not that human skills matter less. Quite the opposite.
As routine tasks become increasingly automated, employers are placing greater value on the skills that technology cannot easily replicate: adaptability, communication, critical thinking, judgement, self-awareness and the ability to learn continuously.
These were among the key themes explored in a webinar led by Anne-Marie Campion and Eimear McNabb from the ISE team, Erica Chamberlain from the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC), Miranda Adams from Skills Builder and Jane Baker from BDO.
While each speaker brought a different perspective, there was remarkable consistency in their findings. Employers, educators and careers professionals are all grappling with the same challenge: how do we help young people develop, recognise and demonstrate the skills they need to succeed in an increasingly complex and fast-changing workplace?
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Recognising and communicating skills remains a challenge
The CEC's Future Skills Questionnaire is the largest dataset of its type in England. Based on feedback from hundreds of thousands of learners, the findings were encouraging.
Young people's understanding of careers, employers and workplace skills improves significantly throughout secondary education. By Year 11, most learners report a better understanding of what employers are looking for and the opportunities available to them.
However, awareness does not always translate into confidence. While many young people say they understand the skills employers value, far fewer feel confident talking about those skills in interviews or recruitment processes. This confidence gap emerged as one of the most important themes from the webinar.
For many young people, the issue is not a lack of ability. Instead, they struggle to recognise their strengths, explain their experiences and connect what they have learned through education, volunteering, extracurricular activities or part-time work to the skills employers are seeking.
Clarity in the language of skills
The webinar reinforced findings from ISE’s Student Development Survey that found employers increasingly value skills such as adaptability, communication, teamwork, self-management and critical thinking.
At the same time, some of these skills appear to be declining. CEC's research identified particular concerns around communication, collaboration, listening and teamwork.
Skills Builder argued that these skills are often poorly understood because they are usually grouped together under the broad label of ‘soft skills’.
Different employers, educators and young people may interpret terms such as communication, leadership or teamwork in very different ways. Without a common language, it becomes difficult to develop, assess or demonstrate them consistently.
This year’s ISE Development Survey was among the first pieces of major research to align with the new UK Standard Skills Classification (SSC), released by Skills England in 2025.
Career readiness and job readiness are not the same thing
Many young people leave education with a good understanding of careers and pathways. However, that does not necessarily mean they are ready to succeed in the workplace from day one.
The transition from education to employment remains challenging because the expectations, language and behaviours required in the workplace are often different from those experienced in school, college or university.
Employers have a critical role to play
One of the clearest messages from the webinar was that employers cannot afford to wait until recruitment begins to engage with future talent.
Evidence presented by the CEC demonstrates that meaningful employer encounters have a significant impact on career readiness, employability and future outcomes.
Young people who have multiple opportunities to interact with employers gain a better understanding of workplace expectations, develop greater confidence and are more likely to make informed career decisions.
And work experience was highlighted as a particularly valuable intervention both for young people and for employers.
Recruit for potential, not perfection
The employer perspective from BDO brought many of these themes together. They challenged the common assumption that young people should arrive in the workplace fully formed and ready to perform from day one. Instead, BDO's approach is based on recognising potential and investing in early development.
According to BDO, the greatest barrier many young people face is not capability but confidence, exposure and understanding of workplace expectations. Employers often mistake confidence for competence, yet many talented young people underestimate their abilities or struggle to demonstrate what they can offer.
Rather than focusing heavily on technical knowledge or prior experience, BDO places particular emphasis on qualities such as learning agility, curiosity, resilience, accountability and persistent effort.
These attributes are viewed as stronger predictors of long-term success because technical skills can be taught whereas attitudes and behaviours are often harder to develop later.
The overarching message from the webinar was that while technology continues to transform the workplace, the skills that will differentiate future talent remain fundamentally human.
The challenge for employers is no longer simply attracting young people. It is helping them build the confidence, behaviours and employability skills needed to turn their potential into workplace success.
ISE members can catch up on the ISE Insights Live: Skills for 2026/27 webinar on our Webinars-on-demand page.