Could sport and leisure offer a future to young people struggling to find work?

Behind the debate about youth unemployment are young people trying to find their place. Sport, leisure and physical activity could offer some of them a rewarding working life—if the sector can make its opportunities accessible and provide the support they need.

Reading the BBC’s latest report on young people outside education, employment or training, it is difficult not to think about the uncertainty that sits behind the figures. Leaving education without knowing what comes next can be unsettling. When applications lead nowhere, or the opportunities available feel out of reach, that uncertainty can gradually wear away someone’s confidence.

For those of us working in sport and leisure, the story raises some uncomfortable questions. Could more young people find a future in our sector? Are we doing enough to help them discover it? And would the jobs we offer give them the security, encouragement and prospects we would want for a young person we know?

The Office for National Statistics estimated that 981,000 people aged 16–24 were not in education, employment or training in April to June 2026. That represented 13% of the age group. Although the estimate fell compared with the previous quarter, it remained higher than a year earlier; ONS cautions against concluding short-term movements. Source: ONS

There are many different lives within that figure. Some young people are looking for work and cannot find it. Others are living with illness or disability, caring for someone, or dealing with difficulties that make the prospect of employment feel distant. Any response needs room for those differences, including recognition that some people will need considerable support before starting a job becomes possible.

Sport and leisure have something valuable to offer. There is satisfaction in helping a nervous swimmer feel comfortable in the water, welcoming someone who has felt excluded from exercise, or running a session that people look forward to each week. For a young person finding their feet, work that allows them to contribute and feel valued could be a good place to begin.

There are also careers across customer service, facilities, events, marketing, finance, technology and management. We need to show that range more clearly. A young person who disliked PE or has never belonged to a sports club should still be able to imagine working in this sector.

CIMSPA’s Careers Hub helps explain the roles available. Local employers could build on it by inviting young people into their workplaces and giving staff time to talk honestly about their jobs: how they started, what they enjoy, what is difficult and how they have progressed. Those conversations should reach careers advisers, parents and youth workers as well as students.

We also need to be honest about what might make someone hesitate.

Enjoying sport does not remove the need to earn enough to live. An appealing role may become impossible once travel costs, uncertain hours or qualification fees are taken into account. Early mornings and evening shifts can be particularly difficult for someone who depends on public transport. Waiting for a first wage can create problems before a new employee has had the chance to settle in.

Research commissioned by Coach Core from Leeds Beckett University identifies low pay, transport barriers and the demands of supporting apprentices among the challenges facing small and micro employers. These are issues that need attention when an opportunity is being designed, rather than after a young person starts struggling. Source: Coach Core

Employers should be asking whether applicants can afford to take the jobs they advertise. Publishing pay and expected hours, funding essential training and giving reasonable notice of shifts would help people make informed decisions. A clear explanation of how someone can gain responsibility and increase their earnings would also make it easier to see a longer-term future.

Working conditions deserve the same attention as recruitment. A new starter needs someone who has time to explain, answer questions and notice when something is wrong. We should be prepared to hear from young employees about what makes them feel welcome, what frustrates them and why they might leave—and make changes where their experiences reveal a problem.

Education partnerships could help address some of these difficulties before a young person enters the workplace.

Schools, colleges and employers need regular contact so that careers advice and training reflect the work available locally. Employers should explain the roles they expect to recruit for, the qualifications required and the qualities they can help someone develop on the job. Education providers can then help learners understand their options and prepare for them.

A college and leisure operator, for example, could develop a route combining workplace experience, customer service skills and an appropriate occupational qualification, with interviews for identified vacancies. Learners should know the likely pay, hours and location from the outset. They should also know who will help if they encounter difficulties.

CIMSPA’s local skills work already brings employers and education providers together to align training with workforce needs. Strengthening those relationships would give more substance to the promise of a pathway. Employers would need to commit time and opportunities, while education partners would need to follow what happens to learners after their courses finish.

There must also be ways back in for young people who have already left education. Youth organisations, community groups and employment services could help make introductions, particularly where someone needs encouragement or a gradual start before committing to training.

Apprenticeships can offer a useful combination of paid work and learning. Coach Core’s work demonstrates how employers and training providers can use sport to support young people facing barriers to employment. Expanding opportunities of this kind requires an understanding of what it takes to sustain them.

A young apprentice may need help with learning, travel or adjusting to workplace expectations. Their supervisor may need training and protected time to provide that support. Where more specialist assistance is needed, employers should have somewhere to turn.

For a small community organisation, this can be a considerable undertaking. Many will want to give a young person a chance while worrying about whether they have the money, time and expertise to do it properly. That concern needs a practical response.

Funding should account for wages, supervision, mentoring and the costs that can prevent someone from participating, alongside formal training. Shared recruitment and administrative support could make it easier for smaller employers to take part. Local partnerships could help organisations access specialist advice and coordinate learning, with arrangements suited to the education and skills systems in each UK nation.

CIMSPA’s Sport and Physical Activity Employability Academy pledge provides a framework for employers to work together on supported routes into employment. Its value, and that of other initiatives, should be judged by what happens to the people taking part: whether they remain in paid work, develop their skills and feel that their prospects are improving.

The wider funding of sport and leisure matters too. Providers need enough stability to plan recruitment and invest in staff. Commissioners asking organisations to contribute to employment, health and community objectives should consider whether their contracts provide the time and resources those responsibilities require.

There is work employers can begin now: reviewing entry requirements, talking to young staff, developing a relationship with a local college and identifying a role that could be suitable for someone starting out. The important thing is to understand the support required and make a commitment that can be sustained.

Sport and leisure will be one route among many for young people seeking work. For some, though, it could become a place where they discover an ability they had not recognised, find colleagues who believe in them and begin to feel more certain about their future.

We should want more young people to have that experience. Giving them a fair chance will mean looking closely at the jobs we offer and being willing to improve them.