The Work Experience Catch

Social Jam
YEUK Youth Ambassadors gaining experience for their CV

The Work Experience Catch by YEUK Youth Ambassador Alexa-Jane 23 Worcester

When the exams are finally over and a wave of relief comes over the majority of UK students. No more assignments, deadlines and having to sit through laborious lectures while lectures read from PowerPoint slides. However, this is short lived. It then dawns upon graduates that they have to move into the ‘real world’. But, how do they do this? There is a Catch 22 pandemic in the UK that needs to be highlighted.

Numerous friends are now seeing the full effects of this. They have been at university, for the past three years, building their academic portfolio. This in itself is an endeavour, but now when they are looking for employment they hear the words, ‘but what experience do you have?’

A typical example of this is a friend who is looking to go into counselling. She has a top degree in Psychology and is looking to gain practical experience wherever possible. While at university she was recommended to apply to numerous charities to build up this experience. To her dismay, she was surprised to find that the majority of charities required experience, some as much as 2 years, or there were limited opportunities outside of London (Catch 22!). This left her feeling frustrated and to be honest I am not surprised! Like me, she thought that by being a voluntary organisation that they would be open to giving people ‘a chance’. When she told her lecturers about this she was hit with the response ‘oh, I didn’t realise it was so strict these days?’ To me this implies that it was a lot easier when they were starting out. Organisations were willing to give them a chance.

This kind of story is not unique and is probably being mirrored across the UK. Highly motivated graduates, with ample skills to offer, are being turned away. What I find the most frustrating thing is that this has now moved into the voluntary sector.

V: ‘Could I volunteer with you please?’

C: ‘Do you have any experience?’

V: ‘No, that is why I would like to volunteer with you so I can build up my experience.’

C: ‘Oh, well you need to have previous voluntary experience to volunteer with us.’

Youth Employment UK is a voluntary organisation and has a lot of connections with other voluntary organisations. Hopefully, they have a connection to help my friend (and thousands of other graduates) to find the experience they need to make a start on the career ladder.

This Catch 22 situation can be and needs to be changed!

Tagged in: , , , ,

Discover Youth Friendly Employers

Severn Trent Careers Discover opportunities for apprentices, graduates and undergraduates in the office and beyond! EXPLORE ABP Foods Apprenticeships, graduate schemes and an AMAZING early careers academy in the world of sustainable food EXPLORE Get Into Teaching You can get a teaching degree for FREE with apprenticeships! EXPLORE Essex Youth Service Aged 13-25 and live in Essex? Get involved in fun activities, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award and online Plan B Traineeships. EXPLORE Coca-Cola EuroPacific Want to work for one of the most well-known brands in the world? They work hard to develop their young people! EXPLORE VHR Technical Recruitment The VHR talent academy can help you get into a successful technical recruitment career - with NO experience! EXPLORE NCFE Vocational Qualifications Young people get amazing perks when they work for the NCFE, with apprenticeships and more. The training is great, too. EXPLORE Martin Brower Careers Break into business, admin and supply careers with Martin Brower. Don't settle for the status quo. EXPLORE Surrey County Council Careers Thinking about rewarding apprenticeships and early careers in a diverse environment? Fire up your career with SCC! EXPLORE McDonald's Early Careers You probably knew you can get McDonald's Apprenticeships. Did you know you can also study for a FREE Management Degree? EXPLORE Aspiration Training Traineeships & Apprenticeships in childcare, dental nursing, teaching, health/social care, and business admin EXPLORE Coach Core Apprenticeships See how Coach Core Apprenticeships get you into sport careers EXPLORE Historic England Discover early careers in heritage for all backgrounds, skills and interests. EXPLORE Careers in Racing Horse racing is a great career choice! British Racing is the 2nd largest spectator sport after football. EXPLORE Prezzo Restaurant Careers Prezzo offers so many early careers, from cooking great food and giving great customer service to managing like a boss! EXPLORE Careers in Eyecare From healthcare lab to high street fashion - you don't need a degree to open your eyes to eyecare careers EXPLORE Catch22 Youth Services Want to overcome barriers in life, whatever your background? Want employers to give you a chance? We can help. EXPLORE Environment Agency Careers Our work helps to protect and improve the environment to make it a better place for people and wildlife. Join us! EXPLORE Generation: Free Skills Training Get FREE skills and careers training today! Generation gives you skills and connects you with employers to find a job fast. EXPLORE Haven Joining Haven is more than just a job. Our early careers are a breath of fresh air! EXPLORE IHG Early Careers Discover how you can grow your career in hospitality! EXPLORE Working in local government Local government touches everyone's lives every day EXPLORE Pret Apprenticeships & Careers When you apply for a Pret Apprenticeship or junior role, you’ll belong to a community of achievers. Get support on your own unique career journey! EXPLORE Royal Air Force There’s nothing like a career in the RAF, it’s not just a job but a way of living. EXPLORE The British Library Work experience, internships and apprenticeships with The British Library open up a WORLD of possibilities. EXPLORE
The British Library
ABP Foods

Email us at info@youthemployment.org.uk or call 01536 513388.

Build Skills + Confidence

Want a big boost in your life and work skills? Sign up to our free online Young Professional programme today!

Young Professional Programme

Get FREE skills training when you sign up. Get support with your personal confidence, positive attitude and coping with change!

Self Belief | Communication | Teamwork | Problem Solving | Self Management

FREE Online Courses

Boost your skills and careers confidence with FREE online courses. Complete them your own pace and get a certificate for your CV! Sign in as a Young Professional to get automatically enrolled.

Get Jobs + Experience

Find Opportunities

Looking for jobs and opportunities near you? Sign in as a Young Professional to see the latest jobs, apprenticeships, grad schemes, CV workshops, career events and early career opportunities in your area!

Latest Careers Help

Be Yourself

Mental Health

Stay Curious

Overcoming Barriers

For Students

Student Guides

For Teachers

Teacher Resources

Teachers - see how to use the Young Professional programme in your school or college, with lots of free teaching resources at your fingertips.