A recently released report has stated that better understanding is needed of why young people choose oversubscribed career paths.
The AELP-published study, Routes into Work… it’s alright for some, aimed to explain why youth unemployment has remained high as the economy recovers.
The study highlights the disconnect between the career ambitions of young people and the number of jobs available in particular sectors. Young people are striving to work in popular sectors and struggling to find jobs as they’re already oversubscribed – this is clearly an issue and stops unemployment falling at the rate it should.
For example, the report cited research carried out by the Education and Employers Taskforce in 2013, which discovered that one in five teenagers wanted to work in culture, media and sport. These fields account for only 2.4 per cent of opportunities, and this shows the mismatch between young people’s career ambitions and actual chances of securing a job in their dream industry.
The report recommends that research into young people’s knowledge of the labour market is carried out, and we completely agree.
Careers advice in schools continues to be a problem, with school budgets and staff already stretched, but it’s important that young people are armed with all the market information they need and the range of post-16 options before starting to study or train for a job in one of these competitive areas. We’d urge them to really think about their career aims, skills and interests in order to give themselves the best possible chance of success in their future career.
Choosing to go into Technical and Professional Education (TPE) would be a good option for many and could help reduce the number of young people who end up dropping out of Higher Education, struggling to find work following completion of their course, or in a job that doesn’t fit their skillset or that they don’t enjoy.
In addition, the report recommends increased promotion of Apprenticeships as pathways to work, and stresses the importance of work-based learning in helping those Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) to find jobs. Of course, this is a hot topic at the moment, with the government focusing on its target of 3 million Apprenticeship starts by 2020. However, we’re keen to emphasise that the important thing is for young people who start Apprenticeships to finish them, and enter meaningful jobs upon completion.
What are your thoughts on the report? Are young people fully aware of the career options available to them?
