Unfortunately, not all young people have equal opportunities when it comes to accessing employment. Numerous different barriers can hinder young people from finding, securing, and retaining good jobs.
Those who face the most barriers are referred to as people “furthest from the labour market,” and employers have a vital role to play in helping these young people into fulfilling jobs and rewarding careers. Understand the barriers that keep young people from the labour market and discover strategies for how you can engage with and ultimately recruit them.
Which young people are furthest from the labour market?
As of December 2023, around 850,000 young people aged 16-24 in the UK were NEET–not in employment, education, or training. The majority of these young people face one or more significant barriers to employment, and individuals who face multiple barriers are most likely to be furthest from the labour market. This means that they will have a longer and more challenging journey to employment.
Some of the common barriers that keep young people from the labour market include:
- Physical disability
- Mental health condition
- Neurodivergence
- Low education attainment, few or no qualifications
- Being a young parent or carer
- Low English language proficiency
- Homelessness
- Substance abuse or addiction
- A criminal record
- Living in an area with few opportunities
How can employers support and recruit young people who are furthest from the labour market?
Despite the barriers they face, these young people may have a lot to offer. They have unique skills, talents, and perspectives. They are often highly driven and would love to find a meaningful and fulfilling job.
However, engaging with them, supporting them, and ultimately recruiting them can be a challenge for employers. In this section, we will share five strategies you can use to help you do so.
Educate yourself and your team
Recruiting young people furthest from the labour market begins with understanding their experiences in a genuine and non-judgemental way. Take the time to understand the challenges of these young people, particularly those in your area or interested in your field or industry.
Seek buy-in from everyone in your team who plays a role in the recruitment process and make it a team effort to get educated, get informed, and reduce or eliminate any biases that may be getting in the way of your efforts to reach these young people.
Consider your job requirements
Many jobs, including entry-level jobs, now have onerous requirements that make it difficult or impossible for many young people to access these opportunities. Consider your “essential” and “nice to have” job requirements carefully and aim to eliminate everything that is not genuinely necessary. Do you really need candidates for an entry-level role to have a degree or a certain number of A Levels? Simply removing these requirements if they are not truly essential can open up your opportunities to many more candidates, including many of those furthest from the labour market.
Consider other ways your job descriptions, person specifications, or job requirements may be creating barriers, too. Is car ownership or a driving licence critical for the role? Is a certain level of physical fitness or ability essential? Why do you feel the need to specify that you are looking for a “native English speaker” when many who speak English as a second language will be just as qualified for the role? Is an “outgoing personality” necessary for a desk job, or could a quiet, shy, or neurodivergent candidate perform just as well?
Recruit from more diverse sources
If you only advertise your jobs in a handful of places or recruit from a small number of sources, you will quickly begin to see a homogenous pool of candidates. If you want to recruit young people who are furthest from the labour market, you will need to go to the places where they are.
Perhaps you are advertising your jobs through sources such as online job boards, LinkedIn, and local schools, colleges or universities. However, if you want to recruit young people who are further from the labour market, you may also want to consider tapping into sources such as:
- Youth groups
- Charities or government agencies aimed at tackling unemployment or supporting NEET young people
- Support groups (for example, young parents’ and carers’ groups or disability support groups)
- Organisations supporting those struggling with issues such as homelessness, addiction, and navigating life with a criminal record
- Physical signs or posters in locations where young people spend their time
- Social media
Recruiting through us via our employer membership is a great way to showcase your opportunities to millions of young people seeking to obtain work or further their skills through webinars and events.
Offer more flexible opportunities
Many of the barriers young people face to employment can also make a traditional 9 to 5, 40-hour work week difficult or impossible. One of the best ways employers can reach these young people is to offer increased flexibility wherever possible.
Are you able to offer flexible shift patterns, remote working or hybrid working options, flexitime, or other ways for your employees to fit their jobs around their lives, health, and other responsibilities? If so, you will immediately be better equipped to recruit young people who face additional barriers to employment. Remember to advertise this flexibility prominently as it can make your job postings far more accessible and far more appealing.
Create additional opportunities for young people
One of the best ways to attract young people who are far from the labour market is to create an offering that they actually want. This can mean inclusive and accessible jobs but it can also mean providing additional opportunities and services to support these young people. Mentorship programmes can be a game-changer in helping disadvantaged young people into the labour market. Other great options include workshops on employability topics (such as CV writing and interview skills), apprenticeships and traineeships, school leaver programmes, and work experience placements.
Most importantly: listen
Most young people who are NEET are not in that position because they want to be. There are numerous negative and harmful stereotypes about these young people, which can further compound their difficulties in finding and keeping employment.
The most important thing you can do is to throw out your preconceptions and really listen to young people about their challenges, their hopes, and what they need from you as an employer.
Read more: Should you drop grade requirements on early careers vacancies?
