Futures at Stake 2020 report surveys young people, teachers and employers about youth futures

The Prince’s Trust and Govia Thameslink Railway have launched the Futures At Stake 2020 report surveying young people, teachers and employers about youth future prospects. All agree that more can be done.

The new report from Prince’s Trust and Govia Thameslink Railway  explores the concerns that young people, employers and teachers have for young people’s future and what more can be done to help support young people to realise their potential.

All participants were asked a series of questions about issues which affect young people, including recruitment, skills for work, education and poverty. Employers were asked questions about how some of these issues affect their own businesses and practices, and their relationships with schools. Secondary school teachers were questioned about their pupils now and in the future, as well as their relationships with local employers.

What young people said:

• 15 per cent of young people say they’ve had to skip meals to save money in the last year
• 21 per cent of young bill payers can’t afford to turn the heating on
• Six in ten (62 per cent) feel embarrassed to ask others for financial help
• Young people from the most disadvantaged backgrounds are significantly less confident about getting the job they want
• Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to believe that they will never buy their own home

What teachers said:

• Three-quarters (75 per cent) of young people aged 16 to 30 believe there was too much emphasis on grades at school rather than preparing them for work
• Eight in ten (81 per cent) employers say that school leavers do not have a grasp on the realities of the workplace
• Seven in ten (70 per cent) teachers worry their pupils won’t be prepared for the world of work when they leave school
• A quarter (25 per cent) of 16 to 18-year olds in full time education admit to truanting in the past 12 months. Twenty per cent of all young people who had truanted said it was because their lessons weren’t preparing them for what they want to do when they leave school/college.

What employers said:

• Almost half of employers agree that there is currently a skills shortage across the UK (47%), and a quarter believe there will be a shortage in five years’ time
• Almost three-quarters agree the recruitment of young people is vital to avert a skills crisis in their sector (73%)
• More than half of employers say they struggle to recruit people with the skills their organisation needs (59%
• One in three employers believe traditional recruitment practices are perpetuating skills shortages (36%), while almost half agree that these recruitment practices are no longer working and need to be more innovative (48%)
• Almost three-quarters of employers (73 per cent) agree the recruitment of young people under 25 is vital to avert a skills crisis in their sector
• Almost half of employers (48 per cent) believe that traditional recruitment methods are no longer working and that their organisation needs to be more innovative
• 60 per cent of employers say attitudes and behaviours are more important than technical skills when recruiting for their organisation

“Young people are key to solving current skills shortages and avoiding a future skills crisis. However, some employers use recruitment processes that make it hard for them to fill vacancies, as well as making it hard for young people to get their first job. It is vital that employers start thinking about recruitment differently”. Dame Martina Milburn, Group Chief Executive of The Prince’s Trust

“This report echoes our fears that young people are facing many complex barriers to accessing work and that there is more we can all do to support them. We know the long term scarring effect that becoming NEET can have on young people but little research has been done to investigate the effects of low quality work on young people’s mental and physical health and well being.

Making transitions in to quality work easier for young people is three fold;

1. supporting young people to access good, free, quality skills and resources and connecting them to services that can support them

2. Ensuring education policy is focused to support up to date, quality careers education and guidance

3. Supporting employers to be Youth Friendly and making the connections to them easier for young people” Laura-Jane Rawlings, CEO