Finding work experience is a postcode lottery for young people, with Wiltshire being one of the area in which it is hard to find out about the world of work, according to a new report.

Companies in some parts of the country are almost twice as likely to offer it as elsewhere, a study of 18,000 firms found.

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills said its research revealed that fewer than a third of firms in the Humber area offered work experience, well below the figure in Liverpool and Birmingham.

Other areas with a disappointingly low number of work placements included Wiltshire, Cumbria, Leicester, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.

Dame Fiona Kendrick, chief executive of Nestle UK and Ireland, and a commissioner at the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, said: "The areas where employers are least likely to offer any form of experience of the workplace are also where youth unemployment is high, creating a catch 22 situation for young people - they can't get the experience to get a job and they can't get a job without the experience.

"Small actions can make a world of difference to young people, and experience need not be two weeks of photocopying in the summer.

"Mock interviews, talks in schools, site visits and mentoring can make the difference for a young person's CV without taking too much time."

The commission, which works with industry and government to help people find work, said 16 to 25-year-olds now accounted for 40% of UK unemployment.