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A new approach to employability focused on developing intrinsic motivation represents a breakthrough in supporting young people to successfully transition from school into the labour market, according to new research from the EY Foundation, in partnership with the Institute for the Future of Work.
Set out across three interconnected reports published today (26 February), the findings reveal that preparing young people to thrive in the workplace must go further than traditional, top-down skills training. Instead, they show the importance of developing internal forms of motivation – a critical but often overlooked factor in unlocking young people’s potential and future success.
Although motivation can decline over time, it can be strengthened through targeted interventions. Young people who took part in an intervention piloted as part of the research reported significantly greater self-reported motivation related to school or work, with a 20–35% improvement compared with the control group.
The findings demonstrate how the development of internal and intrinsic motivation can build a young person’s sense of purpose, confidence and agency, helping them pursue opportunities that genuinely reflect their interests and values, improving engagement and outcomes in education and employment.
Although all young people have the potential and ambition to succeed, navigating the transition from education to employment remains challenging for many - particularly those from low-income backgrounds - and is only becoming more so as AI and automation technologies are adopted.
Crucially, the research suggests that this approach could help address the persistent challenge of the rising numbers of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET), and growing skills shortages.
To help drive adoption, the reports include a practical toolkit for educators, employers and policymakers to integrate motivation-based training into current systems – helping to shape a more inclusive and future-ready labour market.
The three reports bring together:
A comprehensive overview of the importance of motivation, and of the current landscape of careers guidance, with international comparisons
A detailed working paper, analysing the results of a pilot intervention deployed to young people from low-income backgrounds.
A practical framework to help teachers and others supporting young people deploy the findings of this research.
There is also a policy brief summarising this work here.
Speaking about the research:
Many young people who are at risk of becoming NEET have the potential to thrive and are motivated to succeed, but they need support to channel their motivation towards a future of good work. These important reports show why we must look beyond narrow ‘skills fixes’ and recognise the role of motivation, self-belief and agency in helping young people navigate the transition from education into training and employment. A more reflective approach to careers guidance focused on nurturing young people’s motivations and passions would help them to access opportunities that are available - whether that’s training, apprenticeships or further learning and help ensure every young person has a fair chance to succeed.
We know young people are determined to succeed. Over more than eleven years of delivering programmes, I’ve seen the transformational impact when a young person from a low-income background is shown that careers, they once felt were out of reach are possible for them. It is exciting to see this research translate those insights into a training model that could benefit young people everywhere. Earlier research from the Institute for the Future of Work and the EY Foundation also highlighted the crucial role motivation plays in supporting young people from lower-income backgrounds to access good work, particularly in the context of ongoing AI-driven labour market change.