A group of school-leavers have met deputy prime minister Nick Clegg to discuss the barriers faced by young people as they make the transition into the world of work.

The students, who have just received their GCSE results, were all mentored by the charity Arrival Education, which pairs people from the business community with students from difficult backgrounds in a bid to help them achieve higher grades.

Clegg welcomed about 30 young people to Downing Street to hear about their experiences and concerns and asked them to give their views on how the Government can improve opportunities for young people.

He said: "What we want to do here in Downing Street and in Government is to hear from you because you have achieved extraordinary things over the past year. We want to hear from you what you think we can do to make more successes for you and for other young people – not just when you are at school but when you then want to go from school into work."

Earlier, the Deputy Prime Minister held a private roundtable meeting with service providers, community groups and experts in the field of child development to discuss the challenges faced by teenagers. He is leading on cross-Government policy for teenagers as part of the Government’s Childhood and Families Task Force.