Youth Ambassador Robert reports on the current state of employment for young people, and issues a call to action.
As of April 2016, 13.3% of young people in the UK were unemployed. With both immediate and lasting consequences, action is needed to ensure we do not become a lost generation. But what do these numbers mean for us? And whose fault is it?
We are the children of the financial crisis. Growing up hearing our parents in hushed tones discuss their financial difficulties, watching television presenters interviewing families with their houses repossessed, knowing that getting a job was no longer an inevitable rite of passage. We all experienced it to varying extents.
Though we have now stumbled out of recession, the lingering effects remain. During these times young people are particularly affected; their transition from education to the job market becomes increasingly difficult and, as the 2012 UN World Youth Report explained, “during economic downturn, young people are often the ‘last in’ and the ‘first out’ – the last to be hired, and the first to be dismissed.” This issue is not merely restricted to the UK; youth unemployment has been rising worldwide since the recession.
As a result of the economic recession, the government has been tackling the debt through austerity measures. A raft of public sector cuts has precipitated increasing unemployment rates, including the availability of public sector jobs and resources available to help young people transition into the workplace. Furthermore, employers are becoming more risk averse and are increasingly reluctant to recruit those with less experience and qualifications.
But youth unemployment has not suddenly appeared, it is a structural issue that has persisted for decades. Yet it unfairly creates barriers for young people. This is not an easily remedied issue, the causes of it are still debated. It is important that organisations like Youth Employment UK exist in order to support young people beginning their careers, and to provide a much-needed voice to an often unheard generation.
Though the current statistics are unfortunate, it does not mean the future is bleak. There are many ways young people can improve their job prospects. The YEUK Young Professional will help develop soft skills that employers value. They could take part in volunteer programmes that build confidence and give tangible experience. Or join the fight to lobby the government to tackle these issues head-on. Together, we can be the generation that not only confronted unemployment, but made the future brighter for the next cohort.
