Why Young People need a more Coordinated Skills System

The Realities of Transitioning to Work   

The growing numbers of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) and rising economic inactivity have focused attention on the distinct experiences of Gen Z – an education disrupted by the pandemic, growing mental health needs, cost-of-living pressures, and rapid technological change. The impact of these challenges on the transition from education to employment is described powerfully by the young people we’re engaging with as part of the Nuffield Foundation’s Grown up? Journeys to adulthood programme. The accounts of the young people from Middlesbrough, Newcastle, and Newport also reflect frictions in the education and training system that have created entrenched barriers to accessing good work.  A growing body of Nuffield Foundation-funded research is addressing these issues and identifying how to better align the imperatives of young people, employers, local economies and education and training providers.    

The ‘Experience Conundrum’   

Young people are often expected to demonstrate experience of prior paid employment when applying for jobs, but have limited opportunities to acquire this. This resonates with research exploring the employment implications of policies designed to ensure staying on in education and training after 16 in England. Analysis of young people who don’t achieve GCSE Maths and English thresholds found poorer employment outcomes between 2011 and 2016 despite a raft of reforms and increased participation in Further Education. It concluded that young people would benefit from earlier engagement with employment, for example, through work-based training. Meanwhile, the evaluation of the long-run impacts of the Education Maintenance Allowance, which provided disadvantaged learners with weekly payments to stay in full-time education, led to more young people continuing in Year 12, but slightly reduced earnings and employment in their 20s. It shows the need to increase opportunities to engage with employers alongside learning to improve work readiness, as underlined in the latest statutory guidance on careers education.  A forthcoming report evaluating the raising of the participation age will provide further insight. 

Employers’ Skills Expectations  

There is an expectation among employers for young people to have ‘essential employment skills’ when they start working. The Skills Imperative 2035 programme has identified the six most essential skills needed by the changing labour market, which overlap with the skills gaps often cited by employers about young entrants. Longitudinal evidence shows that these skills, such as problem solving and information literacy, evolve from social-emotional skills developed through childhood and adolescence, both within and outside the curriculum. But there are inequalities in skills acquisition according to background which continue to widen due to differences in access to work-based training and opportunities for lifelong learning. More clarity is needed about the responsibilities of education providers, employers, government, and individuals in supporting young people to acquire skills.   

Better Alignment Between Qualification Pathways and the Labour Market    

Beyond experience and essential skills, access to good work requires alignment between qualification pathways and labour market needs, a third barrier. Apprenticeships can effectively provide this bridge, and young people are increasingly interested in pursuing this route, but access to apprenticeships in England has dropped markedly over recent years. A comparison of education and training participation across the UK shows differences of approach, with apprenticeships more targeted at young people in Northern Ireland than elsewhere. Young people who took part in industry case studies from the same research project perceived the apprenticeship system to be competitive and unfair, with opportunities taken by older, more experienced workers. As well as demonstrating the need for levy reforms to provide and promote apprenticeships for young people, the research makes a case for employers to be more involved in shaping qualifications to ensure that young workers have relevant and up-to-date skills.    

Careers Guidance is Key   

Finally, careers guidance is crucial in helping young people to identify their skills and interests and match them with employment opportunities. Data collected from schools and colleges in England shows ongoing improvements in the quality and quantity of career guidance, but young people’s perceptions and international data show that many need further support. One interesting insight from our workshops was that some young people didn’t benefit from careers advice because they weren’t ready to think about their future careers at the point the support was offered, demonstrating the importance of both flexibility and effective engagement. Those who had fallen out of the education system during Covid struggled to access careers advice, and many relied on family contacts. Interestingly, there was little mention of using digital tools for career guidance. This is an area that we are exploring at the Nuffield Foundation, following the publication of A learning curve? A landscape review of AI and education in the UK.  

Better Pathways from all Qualification Levels to Good Jobs   

The skills systems across the UK nations need a clearer vision for how employers, education and training providers, and local government should collaborate to create effective pathways from all qualification levels to good jobs. Young people would benefit from more opportunities to engage with employment from a younger age and from the integration of essential employment skills into all post-16 programmes, while their enthusiasm for more apprenticeship opportunities and different forms of workplace experiences needs to be harnessed. The establishment of Skills England, in parallel with the Curriculum and Assessment Review, provides a valuable opportunity to create a better coordinated system in England. 

By Emily Tanner, Programme Head, Post-14 Education and Skills, Nuffield Foundation