About Shine
Free UK career education for every young person — apprenticeships, jobs, training, volunteering and university routes, matched to your strengths.
Our why
Every young person deserves a fair shot
Shine AI exists to ensure every young person has access to opportunity — regardless of background, education path or experience.
1.1 million young people locked out
Across England and Belgium, 1.1M young people are not in employment, education or training. Many have given up on themselves before they've started.
Skills uncertainty
70–75% of young people don't know which career route is for them, what skills they need, or how to build them.
Exclusion by design
Youth from disadvantaged backgrounds, alternative education pathways or with special needs face even greater barriers to entering the workforce.
The confidence gap
Repeated rejection and unclear pathways lead too many young people to disengage entirely — long before they've had a real chance.
What we solve
Employers and candidates are overwhelmed
The early-careers market is broken on both sides. Here's what we're fixing.
“Entry-level” isn't entry-level anymore
So-called entry roles now demand 2–3 years of experience, locking out the people they're meant to welcome.
Critical skill shortages
72% of Belgian employers struggle to fill roles due to skill mismatches. UK Construction alone faces over 140,000 vacancies in STEM, Manufacturing and Agriculture.
Young people want in — but don't know how
Searches for apprenticeships rose 614% in 2024, yet most young people still don't know which career route fits them, or how to get there.
Hiring is expensive and noisy
The average cost-to-hire exceeds £3,000 per candidate. Employers face high noise and low relevance on existing platforms.
Two sides of the same problem
Millions of young people are locked out of opportunity, while businesses struggle to find the skills they need. Shine connects both.
Our solution
One platform. Two sides. Real outcomes.
Shine is the AI-powered launchpad for early careers — built around what young people are actually good at, and what employers actually need.
AI career pathfinder
An AI-guided questionnaire helps young people identify careers suited to their strengths and interests — then upskills them on their chosen path while still in education.
Every route, treated equally
Apprenticeships, jobs, work experience, training, volunteering and university — one unified ecosystem, no bias toward any single route.
Shortlist first, fairer, faster
Employers get first access to local, upskilled candidates matched to their roles — talent that isn't anywhere else, because they grow with us from school.
Inclusive by design
Structured pathways support every young person — including those with special needs, alternative education, or non-traditional backgrounds.
Free for young people always
Career discovery and matching is — and will always be — 100% free for candidates.
Fairness by default
Every applicant gets respectful, structured feedback. No silence. No ghosting.
Strengths over grades
We match on what you're good at and what you'd genuinely enjoy — not just exam results.
Our vision
A fairer way into work — at scale
We're building Shine to be the launchpad every young person in Europe can trust, and every employer can rely on.
- The go-to platform for early careers in Europe
- The gateway to first jobs for millions of young people
- The bridge between untapped talent and the employers who need them
- Bringing CSR and recruitment together, for good
Building Europe tomorrow.
Europe tomorrow.