DORSET is set to be one of the areas leading the way in educating young people about the world of work and business.

Business leaders will join a pilot scheme tackling the lack of work experience and information for youngsters.

A study of 18,000 firms by the UK Commission for Employment Skills has revealed a ‘postcode lottery’ for young people trying to find out about the world of work.

In Dorset, 31 to 33 per cent of employers had offered work placements in the previous year – slightly below the national figure of 38 per cent.

But 22 to 25 per cent of Dorset employers had offered ‘work inspiration’ such as site visits, skills, mock interviews and mentoring, compared with a national average of 17 per cent.

Ian Girling, chief executive of Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the issue of engaging young people with business was “a major interest to me”.

He said: “Research by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) reinforces the general understanding that there are significant joins between education and employment.

“There are issues around the work readiness of young people when they enter the workplace but there also significant issues around young people’s knowledge of careers when making important decisions on things like exams.”

He said the Dorset chamber was set to be part of a national ‘young chamber’ initiative with the BCC.

“I think the chamber’s got a major role to play in knowledge education for business. We’ve recently become part of a national pilot to develop a national programme to support the link between education and business,” he said.

The national research has raised concerns that young people are being failed in the parts of the country where support is most needed.

Dame Fiona Kendrick, chief executive of Nestle UK and Ireland, and a commissioner at the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, said: “The areas where employers are least likely to offer any form of experience of the workplace are also where youth unemployment is high, creating a catch 22 situation for young people – they can’t get the experience to get a job and they can’t get a job without the experience.”