Fewer than half of young people feel ready for work after education, according to a report from the Institute for Public Policy Research.
The think tank estimates that only 47% of 18- to 24-year-olds felt prepared to enter the workplace, compared with 60% of those over the age of 26.
Furthermore, two in five people in this age group have never completed any work experience, whereas those in earlier generations are significantly more likely to have done so.
The IPPR points to the increase in the number of people not in education, employment or training (Neet) as a “deepening opportunity crisis” that risks undermining the government’s aims to improve social mobility.
Youth employment
Research has also shown that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are twice as likely to be Neet than their better-off peers, and the lack of work readiness may only deepen this equality, the IPPR argues.
It has called for a new “social contract” from the government that would ensure that every generation is better off than the last.
This would include improving the current careers education system, increasing access to work experience for those at most risk of becoming Neet, and potentially introducing a short-term wage subsidy programme to incentivise employers to offer it.
Another recommendation is an 80-hour enrichment entitlement and access to trusted adult relationships, similar to the commitment to breakfast clubs in primary schools but more like after-school clubs in secondary schools or Young Futures Hubs.
The IPPR also wants the government to set a national target for apprenticeship starts, ringfencing a portion of the levy for under-25s, establishing a new apprenticeship maintenance loan to remove financial barriers.
Avnee Morjaria, associate director for public services at IPPR and one of the authors of the report, said: “The prime minister’s ambition to level the playing field for young people is absolutely right, but our data shows we are moving too slowly, and too many are being left behind.
“With almost a million young people now Neet we need a serious plan to rebuild opportunity. That means support that doesn’t stop at the school gates – and a national effort to ensure every young person can thrive.”
Farzana Begum, an ambassador for the Youth Futures Foundation’s Future Voices group, added: “We are taught that we can do anything and be anything when we grow up, but the reality is that there are systemic barriers that limit many young people from accessing opportunities to thrive in education and employment.
“I want to see a future where young people are better supported throughout their journey into adulthood and are equipped with the skills necessary to navigate this pivotal transition. The recommendations made in this report provide policy makers with the building blocks towards a brighter future for all young people.”
The government’s Youth Guarantee is designed to ensure that 18- to 21-year-olds in England have access to an apprenticeship, quality training and education opportunities, and was introduced as part of the Get Britain Working white paper published last November.
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