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Our Policy Leader has been getting the news hot off the press at Ed Miliband’s last party conference speech before the General Election, outlining ‘Labour’s plans for Britain’s future’. Commentators are billing it as a ‘make or break’ situation for the General Election; so what is Labour planning to do if they win the election? How are they winning hearts and minds?

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As another cohort of 14-16 year olds embark on the next chapter in their education I wonder how much each is considering their next steps beyond the classroom? Where will they go once they leave school and what guidance is there to help them make those choices beyond just the A level and university route? Earlier this year, the Guardian newspaper picked up on new research showing that thousands of university graduates are now earning less than school leavers who’ve taken apprenticeships, despite accumulating far higher debts. Based on research from the Office for National Statistics, the figures show that more than a quarter of graduates were paid, on average, less than the £11.10 per hour for those on work-based training schemes last year.

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The gap between education and the workplace can seem like a daunting one for any young person about to make the leap onto the career ladder. For most, the decisions they make whilst navigating this tricky path toward secured employment will set a course for the rest of their working lives. Traditionally, parents have been the primary port of call for young people seeking direction and guidance when making these important initial career decisions. In fact, some 70% of young people say they trust their parents for job advice according to a recent report from the Association of Colleges (AoC). The report goes on to warn that, although always well intended, career advice given by parents is often out of date and badly informed. The AoC suggest that as a result, parent advice can push learners “towards careers that are seen to be safe or traditional, but possibly not best suited to the individual or taking into account emerging industries”.

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Employability is still a hot topic in the education sector as the jobs market remains tough and competitive. Much of the focus is on how prepared learners are for job applications and interviews from school onwards. The first step in any job application is writing the perfect CV. Many young people feel they are not prepared for this due to the exclusion of employability and preparation for life and work modules in mandatory school curriculums.

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The start of 2014 showed some promise with unemployment figures decreasing in the UK. The number of people out of work in the UK fell by 63,000 to 2.33 million which is definitely a positive sign, however 17.9% of young people aged 16-24 who aren’t in full time education are still unemployed. The figures show there are more opportunities for employment, however it may be difficult for young people to capitalise on them and secure a job if they aren’t fully prepared for what’s ahead of them.

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It should be part of a school’s remit to develop pupils’ self-belief, perseverance and resilience, according to advice from a cross-parliamentary group, supported by the CBI. The group suggested that a school needs to be more than just an ‘exam factory’, and that students should leave their education as well rounded individuals, equipped and ready to face the challenges that lie ahead of them.

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At first glance the ONS (Office for National Statistics) figures for employment, covering the last three months, are encouraging, showing a drop of 39,000 in the number of 16 – 24 year olds out of work in the UK. However if we look at the figures for the last twelve months they have in fact risen from 894,000 to 902,000. Meanwhile, McKinsey & Company’s recently published report Education to employment: Getting Europe’s youth into work (January 2014) claims that youth unemployment is nothing new and has been as high as triple the rate of general unemployment in Europe for the last 20 years.

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The Prince’s Trust charity has called for ‘better training and support to get young people jobs and avoid mental health problems.’ This follows research from the charity which says that 40% of young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) have experienced mental health problems. The trust says that almost a third of long-term unemployed young people have contemplated taking their own lives and urgent action must be taken to prevent the young jobless becoming the young hopeless.

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MEPs have made a number of recommendations to tackle the issue of youth unemployment, advising that we’re in need of further measures to help young people move into work. ‘Youth guarantee’ schemes currently aim to ensure that young people under the age of 25 are offered a job, training, or a traineeship within 4 months of becoming unemployed. MEPs have now proposed that these schemes should be extended to include graduates under 30 years old.

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With the education watchdog Ofsted recently stating that schools’ career services are not up to standard, I thought I’d start this issue by focusing on their recent comments. According to Sir Michael Wilshaw, three quarters of schools visited by Ofsted were reportedly not delivering effective careers advice. He commented last month that, "It’s worrying that the new arrangements are failing to provide good guidance." Of course while this situation may be true, it’s also true that these comments come at a time when money and resource to support careers guidance have come under increasing pressure.

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Blog posts for tag:unemployment

What's emerging from the Labour Party Conference?

Careers Guidance on the Cards

Mother doesn't always know best

Preparing learners for life after education

The employability mindset

Preparing learners with an employable mindset

An insight into employment statistics: The McKinsey report

Preventing the young jobless becoming the young hopeless

Ensuring good quality traineeships

Careers advice: helping pupils get on the right course

Authors

Lindsay Plumpton

David Grailey

Andrew Gladstone-Heighton

Esme Winch

Michael Lemin

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Blog posts for tag:unemployment

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Authors

Lindsay Plumpton

David Grailey

Andrew Gladstone-Heighton

Esme Winch

Michael Lemin

Categories

Archive