英国一份关于青少年活动的权威报告指出，孩子们应该在小学阶段就开始接触职场世界。
Children should be introduced to the world of work at the start of primary school, says the author of a major report into youth activity in the UK.
前部长艾伦·米尔本认为，年仅四岁的孩子就应该开始了解各种职业；而对于14至16岁的青少年来说，参加工作实践是必不可少的。
Former minister Alan Milburn says children as young as four should be learning about different careers, with work experience placements made mandatory for 14- to 16-year-olds.
然而，教师工会警告称，小学已经面临着巨大的压力，他们强调必须确保所有学校都能获得必要的支持。
However, teaching unions warn of the "significant pressure" already facing primary schools and say practical considerations must ensure all schools have access to the support.
根据英国国家统计局（ONS）的最新数据，2026年4月至6月期间，英国有98.1万名16至24岁的年轻人既没有接受教育，也没有就业或参加培训（即所谓的“Neet”群体）。
The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggests 981,000 people aged 16 to 24 in the UK were not in education, employment or training (known as Neet), between April and June 2026. Milburn told the BBC "in primary school, it's really about opening their eyes and giving them a sense about what is possible".
米尔本对BBC表示：“在小学阶段，关键是要让孩子们了解这个世界的多样性，让他们明白自己未来有可能从事哪些职业。”
Despite a push towards apprenticeships and work experience in Years 10 and 11, for many the journey towards becoming Neet starts well before their 16th birthday.
尽管学校在十年级和十一年级大力推广学徒制和实习机会，但对许多人来说，他们成为“Neet”群体的过程其实早在16岁生日之前就开始了。
As a result, Milburn says children should be introduced to the world of work much earlier in their school journey, with dedicated space in the curriculum to "broaden horizons".
因此，米尔本建议应该更早地让孩子们接触职场，并在课程中设置专门的内容来“拓宽他们的视野”。
He told the BBC this could be achieved by employers giving talks in primary schools and offering taster sessions to children.
他建议雇主可以到学校进行演讲，为孩子们提供体验机会；他说：“如果雇主能走进学校，向孩子们展示实际情况并告诉他们‘这些才是真正可行的选择’，那会非常好。”米尔本还强调，一些年轻人在寻找实习机会时面临诸多困难。
"It'd be good if employers came into schools and said, 'Look, this is what's going on, these are things that are possible.'" Milburn says that for Key Stage 4 pupils - aged between 14 and 16 - experience must be given in a real workplace with employer feedback. "Work experience needs to be mandatory. It makes a big difference," he told the BBC.
“约四成14至16岁的人完全没有获得任何工作经验，”他说。“在其他学校，学生会被要求自己去找工作经验，而这往往要靠父母的人脉关系。”
Milburn also emphasised the difficulty some young people face when trying to find work experience placements. "There are about four in ten people aged 14-16 who aren't getting any work experience at all," he said.
这些建议将刊登在他的政府委托问题调查报告的最后一部分，该报告预计于秋季发布。
"In other schools, students are told to go off and find their own work experience and that often relies on the network of Mum and Dad."
英国的教育事务实行权力下放，因此，尽管米尔伯恩的审查考察了英国四个构成国的整体情况，但他就教育提出的建议只适用于英格兰。
These recommendations are due to be published in the final instalment of his government-commissioned report into the issue, which is expected to be published in the autumn.
目前，英格兰必须为11至18岁的学生提供职业指导，但工作经验并非法定要求。
Education is devolved in the UK, so while Milburn's review looks at the picture in all four nations, his recommendations regarding education are specific to England.
政府表示，其愿景是在英格兰“保证每位年轻人获得为期两周的工作经验”。
Currently in England, careers guidance must be offered to students aged 11-18 and work experience is not statutory.
在苏格兰和威尔士，学校已经将职业导向学习列为必修内容，适用学生低至3岁。
The government has said its vision is to "guarantee two weeks' worth of work experience for every young person" in England.
来自柯克利斯的艾玛有几个孙辈分别就读小学一年级、二年级和四年级，她认为小学阶段就开始开展职业生涯教育太早了。她说：“小学阶段不应过多地试图让小孩子过早长大。”
In both Scotland and Wales, career-based learning is already a requirement in schools for students as young as three. Emma, from Kirklees, has grandchildren in Years 1, 2 and 4 and thinks primary school is too young to be introducing careers talks. "In primary school, there is too much trying to get little kids to grow up too quickly," she says.
“别让他们只是做小孩子。我知道他们必须学习，世界也在变化，但即便如此，也应该给他们当小孩子的机会。”不过，另一位家长佐伊并不认同。
"Just let them be little kids. I know they have to learn and the world's changing, but still, give them a chance to be kids." But Zoe, another parent, disagrees.
她说：“我认为这是个好主意。这是每个人都必须经历的事情，所以如果早点学会，以后就不必再学了。”各教师工会对在学校更早阶段引入职业导向学习的想法作出积极回应，但警告说这可能会给小学带来尤其沉重的负担。
"I think it's a good idea," she says. "It's something that everyone has to do, so if you learn early, it's something they don't have to learn later on." Teaching unions have responded positively to the idea of introducing career-based learning into schools at a younger age, but have warned about the burden this could place on primary schools in particular.
学校领导工会全国校长协会（NAHT）秘书长保罗·怀特曼警告，小学已经面临“巨大压力”。
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), warns of the "significant pressure" already facing primary schools.
“每当有人提出新的强制要求时，都要明确为了给这些要求让路，哪些方面可能需要作出牺牲，”他说。
"Whenever new mandatory requirements are proposed, it is important to be clear about what might have to give way to make room for them," he says.
怀特曼还强调，“小学未来”（Primary Futures）等现有项目的价值。这些项目邀请来自不同职业领域的志愿者走进学校，“挑战刻板印象，提升青少年的志向”。
Whiteman also highlights the value of existing programmes such as "Primary Futures", which bring in volunteers from different professions into schools to "challenge stereotypes and raise aspirations".
怀特曼表示：“年轻人越早开始把在校所学与未来可能的发展机会联系起来，就越好。”
"The earlier young people can begin to make connections between what they learn in school and the possibilities that lie ahead, the better," Whiteman says.
学校和学院领导者协会（ASCL）秘书长佩普·迪伊亚西奥表示，有人走进课堂确实可以“激发〔孩子们〕的动力……让他们对课堂之外的一切机会充满热情”。不过，他也承认，在偏远地区寻找这类机会可能更加困难。
Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), says having someone come into the classroom can really "enlighten [children's] motivation... and give them that sense of passion for all the opportunities beyond the classroom". Although he acknowledges that finding opportunities in rural areas could be more challenging.