Does paid work help or harm 13–15 year olds?
Exploring how safe, age-appropriate paid work can create better opportunities for young people while protecting their wellbeing.
Does paid work help or harm 13–15 year olds? (In-person event)
Join us on Saturday 19 September 2026 in Brixton House for an afternoon of discussion exploring one of the UK's most overlooked questions: what role, if any, should paid work play in the lives of 13–15-year-olds?
The symposium marks the launch of Second Corner, an initiative by Empath CIC created through research with young people, parents, schools, youth organisations and employers. Its aim is to create safe, legal and vetted paid work opportunities that complement education and support young people to develop confidence, responsibility and real-world skills.
The afternoon will bring together young people, parents, teachers, youth workers, employers, housing associations, lawyers, researchers and policymakers to explore the opportunities, risks and safeguards around paid work for this age group.
What to expect
- Three panel discussions featuring speakers from education, youth work, employment, safeguarding, business and public policy.
- Young people sharing their experiences, aspirations and views on work.
- Conversations about child employment law, safeguarding and good practice.
- Discussion on how responsible early work opportunities could improve young people's long-term outcomes while protecting their wellbeing.
- An opportunity to contribute ideas that will help shape the future of Second Corner.
Who should attend?
Parents, young people, teachers, youth workers, employers, housing associations, local authorities, charities, researchers, policymakers, and anyone interested in creating better pathways from education into employment for young people.
Main website: https://secondcorner.co.uk/symposium
Good to know
Highlights
- 3 hours 30 minutes
- In-person
Location
Brixton House
385 Coldharbour Lane
London SW9 8GL
How do you want to get there?
Agenda
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Arrivals, coffee, press check-in
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Welcome & framing
A short opening frame from the founders. Why teen work, why now: the Milburn review put NEETs — over a million 16–24 year olds out of work and education, costing the UK an estimated £125bn a year — at the centre of national debate. We argue that 13–15 is where the entry-level ladder actually begins, and where the country has stopped building rungs.
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Panel 1 — Youth voice
We start with young people. What they're already doing for money, what they wish existed, and what 'safe paid work' should actually look like from their side. This panel is composed by young people 13 - 16 and 16- 17 years old.