Research: Early Careers and Skills: Equipping the Workforce for What’s Next

Talent, Leadership and Learning Research: Early Careers and Skills: Equipping the Workforce for What’s Next July 10, 2026 Early careers is becoming one of the defining workforce challenges for employers. Advances in AI, shifting workforce needs and increasing pressure on employers are reshaping what organisations expect from entry-level talent and how future capability is developed. Yet despite concerns about the future of graduate and entry-level hiring, this research shows that employers remain committed to investing in early careers while rethinking the pathways, capabilities and support needed for long-term success. Produced By Corporate Research Forum In Partnership With BPP And With Additional Commentary From The Oxford Group, This Report Combines Original Survey Data From More Than 500 HR, Talent, Learning And Early Careers Professionals With Employer Interviews And Wider Labour Market Evidence To Explore How Organisations Can Redesign Their Strategies For Attracting, Developing And Retaining Early Career Talent In a Changing World Of Work. It Concludes With CRF’s Practical Framework For Building An Effective Early Careers System That Supports Both Organisational Performance And Long-term Workforce Capability. In This Report, You’ll Discover Why the early careers market is changing and what the evidence says about employer demand.How AI is reshaping entry-level work and the capabilities organisations increasingly value.Why employers are placing greater emphasis on communication, judgment, adaptability and other durable human capabilities.How employers, education providers and government can work together to strengthen the transition from education into work.A practical six-part framework for designing, evaluating and improving your organisation’s early careers strategy. Research Report >> Session Slides >> CRF Learning Programme Future-Ready Talent Management Adapting Approaches to a New Reality 17-19 November 2026 | Online CRF Member: £1,750 (+VAT) Non-Members: £2,625 (+VAT) The talent context has changed. Has your approach kept up? This learning programme equips participants to rethink talent strategy for a more uncertain world where many of our talent approaches are based on assumptions that may no longer fully reflect today’s context. Through CRF’s research, case studies, expert input and peer discussion, participants will explore how to build more adaptive, business-aligned approaches to talent that improve outcomes for both people and the organisation. Find out more MEMBER LOGIN TO ACCESS ALL CRF CONTENT NOT A MEMBER? REGISTER FOR ACCESS TO THIS RESOURCE First Name* Last Name* Company* Job title* Email address* How did you hear about CRF?* CRF Email Existing/Previous CRF Member CRF Partner Organisation Social Media Search Engine (Google, Bing) Strategic Dimensions PARC Colleague/Line Manager/Word of Mouth HR PublicationWould you like to learn more about how CRF can support the development of your team?* Yes No Related content Research Preview: Early Careers and Skills: Equipping the Workforce for What’s Next Article: What leaders are saying about Early Careers and Skills Early Careers: The Market Is Cooling Not Collapsing Research Report: Creating an Effective Learning Ecosystem in the Gulf