Compass Group UK & Ireland has been recognised as one of the UK’s leading employers for young people after winning the Youth Employment UK ‘Employment Excellence Award’ – announced during Youth Employment Week (6-10th July 2026).
The company achieved a perfect 42/42 score in the Good Youth Employment Benchmark Report, securing a place in the prestigious “Championing” category – the highest level of recognition available through the benchmark.
Developed by Youth Employment UK, the Good Youth Employment Benchmark is a digital diagnostic tool that helps organisations assess and strengthen their approach to attracting, supporting and developing young talent. It evaluates employers across three key areas:
Explore – helping young people understand career opportunities
Experience – providing meaningful work experience and placements
Employment – creating accessible, high-quality routes into work
The award recognises Compass Group UK & Ireland’s commitment to creating inclusive and accessible pathways into employment through apprenticeships, supported internships, work placements, graduate programmes and early careers opportunities. Its approach includes inclusive recruitment practices and targeted support for young people facing barriers to employment.
A key contributor to this achievement has been the company’s recently launched Classroom to Careers strategy, which aims to help young people develop the skills, confidence and opportunities needed to progress into meaningful employment. The programme brings together a range of existing and new initiatives, including their virtual work experience platform developed in partnership with Youth Employment UK, which launched earlier this year.
The online platform gives young people aged 14–18 years old the opportunity to explore careers within hospitality, foodservice and support services through interactive learning. It has been made available to more than 1,000 educators and acts as a gateway to further in-person work experience opportunities.
Lauren Mistry, Deputy CEO, Youth Employment UK: "We have been working with Compass Group UK & Ireland specifically on their online work experience course, which shows their commitment to supporting young people grow the confidence and skills they need to move into the world of work.
“It was no surprise that they scored so highly in the Good Youth Employment Benchmark Report and then won the Employment Excellence Award. A key example of their outstanding work is their Social Partner Hub, which supports candidates facing barriers to employment by creating more accessible recruitment routes for people who may be long-term unemployed, disabled or not in education, employment or training - we send a huge congratulations to them on winning this award."
Jonathan Foot, Director of Skills and Early Careers at Compass Group UK & Ireland, said: “We are incredibly proud to receive this award from Youth Employment UK. We are committed to breaking down barriers, raising aspirations and giving young people the confidence, skills and opportunities they need to succeed.”
The award comes at a time when reducing the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) remains a significant Government priority. Through its Classroom to Careers strategy and wider Our Social Promise commitment, Compass Group UK & Ireland is helping to create clearer pathways from education into work, supporting social mobility and providing opportunities for young people to build successful careers.