Young people 'despondent' about future career prospects
Janaki Mahadevan
Friday, May 20, 2011
Young people believe a lack of professional contacts acts as a barrier to work experience while the education system does not equip them for employment, research by the Young Foundation has found.
The charity questioned 500 13 to 25-year-olds about education and barriers to work with almost half saying they have a worse chance of succeeding professionally than their parents.
A third said they were not getting enough work experience opportunities with one fifth citing a lack of contacts as a barrier.
As the number of unemployed 16 to 24-year-olds nears one million the Young Foundation has warned that the education system penalises young people who cannot obtain informal guidance and connections which lead to work experience.
Report author Bethia McNeil said: "It's deeply troubling that young people are so despondent about their futures, and the potential to achieve their aspirations, despite unprecedented expansion of learning opportunities."
The Young Foundation is no calling for a greater emphasis to be placed on employability and skills development in schools.
A young researcher for the project said: "Amidst a culture of assessment and league tables which can hamper a passion for learning, young people often perceive a greater emphasis on exam results than the development of the interpersonal skills needed in the workplace."
