Youth unemployment worries 89% of parents, warns training provider

A survey, which questioned 2,000 parents across the country, today reveals that 89 per cent of parents are anxious about their children finding work when they receive their exam results next month.

The survey, commissioned by national training provider Lifetime, also reveals 70 per cent of parents across the UK believe the government should be doing more to help young people find work.

The high number of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) is causing parents real concern, and 74% of them would encourage their children to consider alternative training options, such an Apprenticeship, alongside more traditional routes like university.

However, there appears to be a lack of information available to young people looking at training and employment options. In previous research conducted by Lifetime, eight out of ten 16-18 year olds said they had never received any information from a career advisor, teacher or parent about Apprenticeship opportunities. Despite this, 80 per cent said that, had the information been available, they would consider vocational training.

Nigel Wallace, director of Training at Lifetime, said: “With youth unemployment racing to its highest levels since the mid-1990s, on-the-job training offers an ideal opportunity for young people to gain recognised industry qualifications and showcase their skills to employers.

“The jobs market is highly competitive at the moment and many graduates leaving university are struggling to find employment. Whilst university offers a valuable training option to many, it is important to point out that there are many other training options for young people leaving school, apprenticeships being one of them.”

Errol Anderson

(Pictured: Nigel Wallace, director of training at Lifetime)