Investing in early careers talent such as graduates, apprentices, and year-in-industry placements provides organisations with a sustainable pipeline of skilled, motivated employees who can be developed in line with business needs. Early careers programmes bring digital natives who improve workforce diversity, bring fresh perspectives, and support innovation, while also reducing longer-term recruitment costs and skills shortages. By shaping and developing talent from an early stage, employers build stronger loyalty, improve retention, and create potential future leaders who understand the organisation’s culture and values. This approach strengthens succession planning, boosts the employer brand with real advocates, and delivers long-term value rather than short-term hiring fixes.

My added value can be right from the development of an early careers strategy right through to the interview and assessment process and beyond.

Key areas for consideration:

Strategic workforce planning

• Identify future skills needs and define target populations (graduates, apprentices, year-in-industry)

Programme design

• Set objectives, success measures, and timelines, then design role rotations, training frameworks and qualifications

Employer branding and outreach

• Build a compelling early careers value proposition, partnering with schools, colleges, universities and community organisations

Attraction marketing

• Use inclusive, accessible recruitment campaigns, leveraging digital channels, careers events and employee ambassadors

Recruitment and selection

• Use fair, strengths-based or potential-focused assessment methods, ensuring constant engagement, diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the process

Offer management and pre-boarding

• Maintain engagement between offer and start date, promptly completing checks, contracts, and onboarding preparation

Onboarding and induction

• Provide structured organisational and role-specific induction  whilst setting expectations, goals and support networks

Learning and development

• Deliver formal training, qualifications and skills development backed up with mentoring, coaching and on-the-job learning

Performance management

• Set clear objectives and provide regular feedback, supporting progression through reviews and development plans

Engagement and wellbeing

• Foster belonging, inclusion and psychological safety

Progression and retention

• Provide clear pathways into permanent or advanced roles and support career planning and internal mobility

Evaluation and continuous improvement

• Track outcomes (retention, performance, diversity, ROI) and use data and feedback to refine and improve programmes