A Northampton business leader is encouraging more local employers to offer meaningful work experience placements to young people, with figures showing that almost a million 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK are not in education, employment or training.
Ashish Kumar, director and co-founder of Northampton-based bespoke software company Web Alliance, is calling on organisations across the county to consider how they could support GCSE and A-Level students by giving them a real insight into the world of work.
According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, an estimated 981,000 young people aged 16 to 24 in the UK were not in education, employment or training between April and June 2026, representing 13.0% of people in that age group. Ashish said the figures underline the need for more businesses to play an active role in helping young people understand the career paths available to them before they leave education.
Web Alliance opens its doors each year to students from schools and colleges across Northamptonshire, including Northampton College, Northampton School for Boys, The Duston School, Northampton Academy and Abbeyfield School. During their week with the company, students sit alongside Web Alliance’s developers, learn about live projects, ask questions and gain a first-hand understanding of what a career in computing and software development could look like.
Ashish said the aim is not to persuade every student to pursue a career in technology, but to help them answer one important question: is computing for me?
He said: “The number of young people who are not in education, employment or training should concern every business leader, because this is not just an education issue or a government issue. It is a community issue, and businesses have an important part to play.”
Work experience is about so much more than giving a young person something to put on their CV. Done well, it can help them make one of the most important decisions of their young lives.
We want every student who spends a week with us to leave with a clearer understanding of what life in tech actually looks like. Some leave absolutely buzzing, knowing this is the path they want to follow. Others realise it is not quite what they imagined but that is just as valuable.
“A week of genuine, hands-on experience could save a young person years of heading in the wrong direction or it could give them the confidence to pursue a career they had never seriously considered before.”
Web Alliance, which designs and develops bespoke CRM, ERP and workflow systems for SMEs, has grown from Northampton into a successful technology business serving clients across the UK.
Ashish said the company’s work experience programme is one way of giving back to the community that has supported its growth.
He said: “Northampton and Northamptonshire have given so much to Web Alliance over the years. We have always believed that business has a responsibility to the community it operates in, and supporting young people is one small but important way we can give something back. The students who join us for their work experience bring energy, fresh thinking and plenty of questions that make us think differently too. It is incredibly rewarding for our team, and I would encourage more businesses to consider what they could offer.
“You don’t have to run a huge programme. Even a few days spent inside a real business can make a meaningful difference to a young person’s confidence, understanding and aspirations.”
Ashish is now encouraging other employers across Northamptonshire to speak to local schools and colleges about work experience opportunities and to consider how they can offer placements that are practical, welcoming and useful.
He said: “Young people need chances to see what different careers really involve, not just what they look like on paper. Local businesses are perfectly placed to provide that insight. If more employers opened their doors, even in a small way, we could give many more students the opportunity to discover what excites them, what suits them and where their future might lie.”
