Never Mind if Young People are ‘Work Ready’, Are Workplaces Ready to Work with Young People?

The latest Office for National Statistics figures confirmed that one in eight young people aged between 16-24 were not in education, employment or training (NEET).

This is a height not reached since the long shadow of the Great Recession after the 2008 financial crisis, which only saw NEET numbers drop below 900,000 at the start of 2015. Most people agree that the newest generation of workers has been dealt a bad hand as they enter the workforce, with record levels of mental health challenges, much lower access to secure work and a cost of living crisis. Where there is less clarity is who holds responsibility for young people to overcome these barriers, young people themselves, the government, educators or employers.

Youth Promises Are Paired With A Threat

The UK Government have so far placed a significant emphasis on young people taking initial steps to enter the workforce. The proposed Youth Guarantee promises all young people aged between 18-21 employment support, training, or an apprenticeship, alongside a series of ‘Trailblazer’ initiatives to innovate new pathways into work. Yet these promises are paired with a threat: the health component of Universal Credit will be unavailable for any claimants under age 22, alongside other cuts to social security for health, disability and carers.

“Scarring” Effect Of Youth Unemployment and Inactivity

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Liz Kendall MP, may hope this will get young people “work ready”, whether they like it or not. She may be taking the view that the “scarring” effect of youth unemployment and inactivity on an individual’s working life must be avoided. However, our research at the Work Foundation at Lancaster University suggests employers themselves need to become “work ready” if they are to support young people in jobs for the long-term. Rather than placing the onus on young people to adapt to a system that hasn’t worked for them, how can we flip the equation to ensure employers also develop the right opportunities, systems, and cultures to support healthy working lives?

Last year, the Work Foundation published research on maximising the opportunities of a multigenerational workforce and we found that there is a say-do-gap in terms of age inclusive policies in the workplace. Two thirds of business leaders (67%) state that their organisation actively addresses generational stereotypes and biases in their workplace to create a more inclusive environment. However, only a third (31%) agree that an emphasis on inclusivity and diversity initiatives is important in creating a positive work culture for a multigenerational workforce. And even less employers put in policies to support age inclusion in the workplace with only 18% including age in their EDI policies.

As part of a new partnership project between the Work Foundation, Runnymede Trust, and the Youth Futures Foundation, we are currently delivering place-based research in Bradford, Leeds, Brent, and Walsall with local employers. We are exploring the opportunities and challenges employers face in addressing the recruitment and retention of young people and tackling ethnic disparities. Some of the emerging findings include that employers are reporting a lack of connection with hardest to reach young people. Budget cuts also appear to often target schemes completed predominantly by young people – such as apprenticeships, traineeships, and internships – as they are seen as “costly with limited immediate returns”.

Employers also need to consider the types of job role they offer to entry-level workers

Employers also need to consider the types of job role they offer to entry-level workers. Many young people’s initial experiences of the workplace are defined by insecurity.  Young workers not in education are almost twice as likely to be in severely insecure work than older workers, and face a lack of access to employment rights, unpredictable or low pay, and no contractual guarantee of future hours. Progression is also limited, with longitudinal analysis of Understanding Society data from 2017-2021 finding that 28.2% of insecure workers aged 16-24 remained stuck in insecure work four years on. Severely insecure work also poses additional health risks to workers, which raises the question of whether any work is better than no work for this generation of NEETs.

Could Line Managers Benefit From Training And Support To Lead An Increasingly Multigenerational Workforce?

The further education sector, as a bridge between industry and young people, has a key role to play in creating environments where young people can thrive. Many educators already involve industry stakeholders in employability and vocational training offers, but these could also be structured into opportunities for employers to learn about what age-inclusive practices the latest generation of workers need to thrive. In addition, Work Foundation research has suggested line managers, who often rise to their positions without formal training, could benefit from training and support to lead an increasingly multigenerational workforce. Education providers should integrate best practices into their current management and leadership qualifications.

There may be short-term costs to investing in young people, but in the long-term adaptation to the needs of future workers is a win-win. This could create positive outcomes for young people, better fiscal outcomes for the Government and a stronger pool of talent available to businesses. If these benefits are to be realised, employers and educators must pivot their focus from the solely focussing on the “work readiness” of young people to ensuring they are “young people ready” in the jobs and working environments that they offer.

By Emelia Williams (Research and Policy Analyst) and Jess Redmond (Policy Advisor), Work Foundation at Lancaster University