Northamptonshire employers are being urged to offer more work experience placements to young people to help them make better-informed decisions about their future careers.

Ashish Kumar, Managing Director and co-founder of Northampton-based bespoke software company Web Alliance, has called on businesses across the county to consider opening their doors to GCSE and A-Level students.

His appeal comes as Office for National Statistics figures show an estimated 981,000 people aged 16 to 24 in the UK were not in education, employment or training between April and June 2026, equivalent to 13 per cent of the age group.

Web Alliance provides work experience each year for students from schools and colleges across Northamptonshire, including Northampton College, Northampton School for Boys, The Duston School, Northampton Academy and Abbeyfield School.

Students spend a week alongside the company’s developers, learning about live projects and gaining an insight into careers in computing and software development.

Kumar 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, founded in 2012, develops bespoke CRM, ERP and workflow systems for SMEs. Kumar said its work experience programme was also intended to give something back to the Northamptonshire community.

“Northampton and Northamptonshire have given so much to Web Alliance over the years,” he said. “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.”

Kumar is encouraging employers to approach local schools and colleges and consider providing practical work experience opportunities.

He added: “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.”