New research shows lack of optimism for young people’s futures

New research by Career Ready and Opinium finds that people in the UK aren’t optimistic about the future of work for young people and youth investment should be an important part of the UK’s COVID recovery.

Only three out of ten of people in the UK are optimistic about the future of work for young people. Moreover, seven in ten believe investing in young people should be an important part of the UK’s post-COVID recovery, according to research carried out by Career Ready – a UK-wide social mobility charity – in collaboration with Opinium.

The research, based on a national representative sample of 2,000 adults across the UK between 29 November and 02 December 21, found that:

• 69% of people think that investing in young people should be an important part of the UK’s post-COVID recovery
• Only 33% of people think that the future of work is positive for young people in the UK
• 69% of people think that employers have a responsibility to support young people’s skills development
• 45% of people believe that paid internships are one of the most important steps employers can take to boost social mobility
• 54% of people believe that employers should offer more routes into work which do not require a university degree, such as apprenticeships and school leaver schemes
  

These findings come as wider research shows that the pandemic has harmed educational and employment outcomes for the ‘COVID generation’ of young people, especially for those from less advantaged backgrounds. Between 2020 and 2021, an additional 420,000 young people became eligible for free school meals, taking the total to 1.74 million pupils¹. In 2021, the A-Level attainment gap between students on free school meals and their peers widened².

Tokunbo Ajasa-Oluwa, Career Ready CEO said:

• “COVID has hit young people hard and without proper investment we risk a generation of lost talent in the workforce, especially young people from less advantaged backgrounds. It’s vital that government, businesses, and educators work in partnership to give young people the workplace skills, experience, and opportunities needed for future success.”
• “Research and our experience show that paid internships are rocket fuel for social mobility and an effective way for employers to future-proof their business. We’d urge employers of all sizes and sectors to open their doors to the COVID Generation and give future talent the opportunity to succeed.

Career Ready is a UK-wide social mobility charity whose mission is to improve the social mobility of young people through a range of employability programmes which give them the skills, confidence, and networks needed to enjoy success in education and employment.

Over the last year, Career Ready has supported 72,898 young people and delivered 177,726 employability activities, through a network of employer, volunteers, schools, and colleges.