Drax Group is calling on Yorkshire businesses to establish stronger, long-term relationships with schools and young people to help tackle rising levels of youth unemployment and disengagement from education.
In an opinion article published on 27 October 2026, Drax highlighted that 15.1% of young people in Yorkshire and the Humber are not in education, employment or training (NEET), compared with 13.1% across England.
The company believes businesses have an important role in helping young people understand local career opportunities and develop the confidence and practical skills needed to enter the workforce.
Drax highlighted its Education Ambassadors programme, through which employees work with pupils in Selby, Goole and surrounding villages, providing guidance on job applications, interviews and career opportunities.
The Drax Foundation also supports SKILLZ CIC, which has engaged nearly 2,000 young people at risk of becoming NEET in North Yorkshire. The initiative includes visits to Drax Power Station, giving pupils opportunities to learn about careers in a working environment.
Drax and Up for Yorkshire have also established Selby Connected, bringing together employers, public bodies and community organisations to improve access to local opportunities.
The company believes sustained mentoring and regular employer engagement, starting during primary school, can help young people develop a clearer understanding of potential career paths and improve their transition from education into employment.
Drax Group plc (LON:DRX), trading as Drax, is a power generation business. The principal downstream enterprises are based in the UK and include Drax Power Limited, which runs the biomass fuelled Drax power station, near Selby in North Yorkshire.
