Broken ladders Why the ‘ladder of opportunity’ is broken

10 To reflect the need to make progress on both these fronts, the first part of this report will analyse the evidence base on how to bring young people closer to employers, while the second part will analyse the evidence on how to bring employers closer to young people. [...] 2.1 - 14 to 16-year-olds spending time in the workplace Although the findings of the ESS and the Wolf Review may seem persuasive, one should not be surprised if young people lack the skills needed to succeed in the workplace when our education and training system gives them minimal exposure (if any) to the workplace before age 16. [...] While this was clearly very helpful to the companies and young people concerned, it does not, in my view, alter the balance of the evidence.” 27 Such comments from employers are unsurprising given the benefits of the YA programme to young people and employers. [...] As the introduction to this report explained, enhancing the opportunities for young people to acquire the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in employment is only part of the story. [...] Previous research by EDSK proposed that the DfE could introduce a set of financial incentives for employers on a sliding scale to reflect variables such as the age of the learner, the size of the employer and the amount of training required.