Disadvantaged young people 'locked out of employment opportunities'
Joe Lepper
Thursday, December 8, 2022
Young people feel excluded from the jobs market and are “rapidly losing hope” they will find work, with those from disadvantaged groups worst affected, a survey has revealed.
Almost a third of the 5,000 young people surveyed do not think they will ever be able to achieve their career ambitions.
This proportion rises among disadvantaged groups of young people, with 35 per cent of those out of work, 59 per cent of ex-offenders, 44 per cent of care leavers and 54 per cent of refugees fearing their career ambitions will never be met.
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One in ten say they may never work, found the survey of 18- to 24-year-olds.
“Worryingly, young people seem to be rapidly losing hope as they face what they see as a hostile labour market with limited opportunities to get a foot on the ladder and progress – suggesting they are being let down by the education system, government and employers alike,” said training body City & Guilds, which carried out the survey.
It is calling for improved careers guidance, inclusive curricula and better partnership working on skills issues among government, educators, and employers.
Among young people surveyed, 13 per cent are not in education or in work and less than a fifth of this group believe the government is doing enough to support them.
The survey also found that more than two in five young people do not believe their education has given them the skills needed for the job they want, and two thirds say it is not easy to get a good job.
Meanwhile, nearly a third say they have struggled to get interviews and one in five say there are not any jobs in their local area.
City & Guilds chief executive Kirstie Donnelly said: “Our research found that young people who have faced additional challenges, such as young carers, care and prison leavers and those who come from less affluent families, are falling way behind their peers in the labour market at the earliest stage of their careers.”
Last month it emerged that the number of 16-to 24-yearold women not in education, employment or training had increased markedly during the year.
