340 - Aspirations and Experience

October 2013
with
Youth Insight
The voices of UK young people on their experience of the world of work,
and their aspirations for the future
Benjamin Reid and Nye Cominetti
Youth Insight: the voices of UK young people on their hopes and experience of the world of work
The Work Foundation aims to be the leading independent international authority on work and
its future, influencing policy and practice for the benefit of society. For further details, please
visit www.theworkfoundation.com.
Contents
1
2
Executive Summary
Key findings
Recommendations
Introduction
Young people and unemployment in the UK
Young people in employment in the UK
12
The KFC The Work Foundation Youth Insight survey
14
Young peoples aspirations for work and careers
16
Careers and ideal jobs
16
Comparing aspirations for work qualification level and gender
17
Young peoples experience of work and looking for work
19
Experience of work training
20
Young Peoples experience of looking for work
21
Experience of work and looking for work the regional picture
23
Two nations?
26
Conclusions and Recommendations
30
Contact details
36
3
4
Executive Summary
Young people in the UK are positive about their future careers prospects, happy with
their education, and have confidence the training they are getting in their jobs when they
are getting it is equipping them for the future.
But today they are being let down. Bad jobs, unemployment and underemployment,
insufficient support to find jobs, and an extremely challenging labour market are all denying
them opportunities to develop.
These are the main findings of the first KFC The Work Foundation Youth Insight
Survey, undertaken by The Work Foundation with IFF Research. The survey provides a
snapshot of the experiences and aspirations for work of UK young people today. The sample
of 2056 people from across the UK allows for detailed analysis of the attitudes and
experiences of young people aged 16-24.
At a time when youth unemployment is at near-record highs there are still almost a million
young people (16 24) unemployed, with around 250,000 of those out of work for 12 months
or more there has never been a more important time to hear from young people
about their needs, their hopes and their fears as they embark on their careers.
We hear a lot from experts on what must be done to support young people but not enough
from young people themselves. The KFC The Work Foundation Youth Insight survey
offers a unique window into young peoples aspirations for, and experience of,
training, education and work in the UK today.
Key findings from the survey
1. The UKs young people are aspirational, and hopeful about their future prospects,
despite the current grim climate for employment.
o
63% are confident in their career prospects
64% believe they will eventually be in their ideal job
Of those employed, 50% feel in control of their career
Of those employed, 62% believe their job is providing skills to make them
more employable in the future
2. There is a stark split between the generally positive aspirations of young people,
and, for the majority of them, their current experience of work and finding work
the gap is greatest for those with low or no qualification, and in regions of the country
where unemployment among young people is higher.
o
62% of those in employment would like to work more hours
32% of those in employment are not guaranteed a certain number of hours a

week in their job
3. A significant minority of currently unemployed young people almost a quarter

(23%) feel they have almost no chance of finding a job in their area
4. Many of the UKs young people are not in jobs or industries that they see
themselves in for the long term.
o
54% want to move jobs in the next 12 months
Just 30% are working in an industry they would like to work in in the longterm
5. Young people have had, in the main, strong, positive experiences of in-work
training when it has been provided for them, but they are not always clear how that
training and skills can be translated into meaningful careers.
o
78% found the training they had had in work to be relevant to their job
67% believe the training they have received helps them to do their job better
41% feel that the training they have received makes them want to stay with
their employer
6. Young people feel they lack sufficient and appropriate support, information,
advice, and guidance about jobs, careers, training and opportunities. UK young
people believe both government and business could do more to support them in these
areas.
o
65% would like more support in applying for jobs
39% feel that employers fail to understand the needs of young people
Only 15% have ever received useful feedback from an unsuccessful

application
58% believe the government is not doing enough to help young people find
work
Recommendations
The first KFC The Work Foundation Youth Insight Survey has highlighted a number
of areas where young people are being let down and where they need be supported in
realising their aspirations for work and their careers. The survey indicates that young
people need better support from businesses in terms of access to work, feedback through
the job application process, and development when in work. They need schools and
education providers to give more access to work experience opportunities alongside
stronger careers advice and guidance. And they require government support through
schemes which genuinely help young people smoothly transition from education into careers
which have strong opportunities for development and progression.
Most important is that action to support young people is coordinated across these
stakeholders business, government and education at both a national level and at a
local level. At a national level, business must engage with education providers and
government to help inform policy, and shape cohesive strategies. The outcomes of
collaboration at the national level must be clear leadership, drive, and, of course,
resources for a wide range of innovative initiatives at the local level which also bring
together businesses, schools and Further Education, and local government:
Large employers of young people in the UK have an important responsibility to engage at

national and local levels to help tackle the UKs youth unemployment crisis, and help build
our future workforce.
From this overall framework, we identify four specific areas where the key stakeholders need
to focus their attention, at both the national and the local level:
1) Apprenticeships focus them on young people
o
The vast majority of the recent increase in the number of apprenticeships has
been going to those aged over 25. There must be greater focus on the
expansion of apprenticeships for young people specifically, as a genuine
route into continuous in-work development, and meaningful careers.
2) Careers advice and guidance major strengthening required, including more

business involvement
o
This area of labour market support for young people has gone backwards rather
than forwards in recent years. There is a pressing need for stronger, better
informed advice and guidance for young people. It needs to be consistently
provided across schools and colleges, over a longer period as young people
develop career aspirations, and involve businesses in the training of careers
advisors to a greater extent.
3) Work experience no young people should leave full-time education without

strong and meaningful experience of the workplace
o
Particularly for those leaving full-time education with lower qualification levels,
prior and meaningful experience of the workplace is crucial. The uniform
provision of high-quality work experience provided by business and
employers and coordinated by schools and government should be
prioritised, and more rigorously enforced.
4) In-work training the trend for a decline in the amount of training employers give
young people must be reversed
o
There is a huge opportunity to expand in-work training for young people to

ensure smoother transitions between education and employment, and to
get young people on the escalator of a career rather than, for too many, the
current cycle of low-wage work, and unemployment or underemployment.
Introduction and Context
Young people and unemployment in the UK

The UK has a youth unemployment crisis. There are almost a million 16-24 year olds who
are unemployed. Even once full time students are removed from this number, it still leaves
637,000 unemployed young people (first quarter of 2013, Labour Force Survey). The growth
in youth unemployment since the recession can be seen in Figure 1 below.
The country urgently needs to find ways to get these young people into work, for we know
that periods spent unemployed while young has knock-on effects later in life in the form of
further spells of unemployment and lower earnings, something economists describe as
wage scarring..
The situation is especially bleak for young people suffering from long-term unemployment.
There are 274,000 16-24 year olds who have been unemployed for over 12 months (first
quarter of 2013, Labour Force Survey). This number has been increasing consistently since
2008 even though the overall number of young unemployed people has fallen slightly since
its peak in early 2012. This group will find it hardest to find work even if the economy returns
to growth.
Figure 1: Youth (16-24) unemployment since the beginning of the recession
1,200,000
1,000,000
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
-
FT students
Not FT students
Source: LFS
Youth unemployment in the UK is a long-term problem
The UKs youth unemployment problem did not begin with the recession, even though the
2008 crisis and its aftermath pushed numbers to crisis levels. In fact, the number of young
unemployed people in this country has been growing since around 2004 (see Figure 2) a
time when the economy was growing strongly and when overall unemployment numbers
were very low..
Figure 2: Youth unemployment (16-24) by duration unemployed, 1998-2013, seasonally
adjusted
1200000
1000000
800000
600000
Up to 6 months
6-12 months
Over 12 months
400000
200000
Source: ONS
The reasons for this trend are complex and difficult to pin down precisely, but a number of
factors are involved:
-
The labour market has changed manufacturing jobs have declined relative to jobs in
service industries, and the latter are harder to access for young people. They require
different kinds of skills, and many employers expect new starters to have strong
employability skills from day one. This includes things like communication and
organisational skills which may not have been the focus of their academic education.
The focus of back-to-work support changed. In the early 2000s the focus of policy was
squarely upon single parents, and, arguably, less help was given to young people.
A considerable determinant of levels of youth unemployment and particularly long-term
youth unemployment is a young persons qualifications. Young people with lower levels of
qualifications are much more likely to be unemployed than young people with mid- to
higher-level qualifications. More than 40% of young people with no qualifications are
unemployed and fully half of these have been unemployed for over 12 months. By
comparison, among young people with qualifications at A-level (or equivalents) or higher,
just over 10% are unemployed and a far smaller minority of that qualification group has
been unemployed for more than 12 months. Figure 3 shows the unemployment levels of
young people by qualification level. Although there is clearly a strong relationship between
qualification levels and unemployment, unemployment rates for those with A-levels (or
equivalents) are similar to those with degree level qualifications. The main difference in
employment outcomes is between those with lower-level qualifications and those with midlevel qualifications.
Figure 3: Youth unemployment by qualification level
Youth unemployment by qualification level, by duration

(average of 4 quarters to 2013Q1, LFS)
No qualification
Other qualifications
GCSE grades A*-C or equivalent
GCE, A-level or equivalent
Higher education
Degree or equivalent
0%
Unemployed over 12 months
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Unemployed fewer than 12 months
The effect of qualification levels on employment status for young people is particularly
pronounced during economic downturns, with slack labour demand causing a bumping
down in the labour market. This term refers to the fact that, at all levels, individuals who
cannot find work at the level they would like or is warranted by their skills and qualifications
- are forced to apply for lower-level jobs. This in turn has a knock-on effect on those with
lower skill levels, who face competition for jobs from those with higher skill levels, and lose
out as a result. This process is particularly problematic for young people because, with less
work experience, they are more reliant on their qualifications to prove their ability.
10
There is also a slightly longer-term trend which could explain the higher unemployment rates
among young people specifically with lower-level qualifications. In recent decades, young
people have spent longer in non-compulsory education e.g. in post-compulsory schooling
and in further and higher education. As an example, the Labour Government of 1997 2010
explicitly set out to increase the number of young people going to University. These policy
decisions and goals have implications for the young people who choose to spend less time
in non-compulsory education, as well as those who choose to leave education at age 16-17.
Partly because of the expansion of UK young people entering higher education, there is
recent evidence that employers, observing the trend of higher qualification levels among
young people, have begun assuming that those young people who have little or no postcompulsory education are low-achievers, have less developed soft-skills, or have less
application and perseverance than their peers a myth the recent Wolf report sharply
questions.
The international picture
UK youth employment levels since the recession are considerably above the average for the
EU and for major developed countries. While certain individual EU nations have truly
shocking levels of youth unemployment Greeces reportedly hovering around 50% in fact
even with these levels, according to the OECD, the UKs rate of youth unemployment as a
proportion of population (above 12%) is above both the EU average (just over 9%), and the
average for the OECD group of developed nations (just over 8%).
But, as with the problem of rising long-term youth unemployment (as shown in Figure 2
above), the trend for higher UK youth unemployment compared to other nations pre-dates
the recession (see Figure 4 below). The UK had a youth unemployment rate 2 percentage
points higher than the EU average, and more than 3 percentage points higher than the
OECD average, even at the peak of the economic boom in 2007.
Even more remarkable is the fact that in Germany youth unemployment has actually
decreased during the recession. This when compared to the crisis levels in the UK and
many other countries is an incredible achievement. There are lessons that the UK can
learn from Germany, not least the need to invest in a high-quality apprenticeships system.
Countries are of course very different, and due to different economic structures and cultures
some of what works in places such as Germany may not necessarily apply to the UK.
Wolf, Alison (2011) Review of Vocational Education The Wolf Report, London: TSO,
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/180504/DFE-000312011.pdf
11
Figure 4: Youth unemployment in the UK and select international comparisons since 2000
14%
12%
10%
8%
6%
4%
2%
0%
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
United Kingdom
European Union 21
OECD countries
Germany
Source: OECD StatExtracts, Eurostat

The main lesson we would take from Germanys record on youth employment is that the
high rates of unemployment being experienced by the UKs young people are not the
inevitable outcome of a major recession. Better policies and institutions can make a big
difference, both to young peoples experience of entering the labour market, and their
prospects of progressing within it.
Young people in employment and in-work training in the UK

Underemployment
People out of work for extended periods can become scarred i.e. their future chances in
the labour market are impaired because their skills deteriorate and they lack recent work
experience. It is therefore right that government places particular policy focus on youth
unemployment during a recession. However, the economic downturn has also affected
young people who have consistently been employed and in work. In particular, living
standards for lower-paid, but full-time employed people have fallen in recent years, as
wages have failed to keep pace with inflation.
12
Another clear problem for young people in the current labour market is that many people are
unable to work the number of hours they would like. This underemployment is a major issue
for young people in the UK, with many seeking to work more hours than their employer is
willing to offer. It includes people working part-time who would prefer to work full-time.
Statistics from the Labour Force Survey suggest that, as of August 2013, fully 19% of young
people in work say that they would like to work more hours. This has increased from 13% in
2008. Underemployment is a problem because a desire for more work generally follows a
desire to increase earnings. Falling wages are therefore likely to be a key driver of
underemployment young people need to work more hours simply to maintain their current
standard of living.
Figure 5: The number of people in work that would like longer hours
Would like
longer hours
16-24
25+
All
2008
13%
7%
8%
2013
19%
10%
11%
Source: LFS
Another driver of the increase in underemployment has been employers response to falling
demand during and since the recession. Surveys show that the most common response
by employers who have had to adjust to lower demand is to reduce the wages and hours of
2
their employees. Such moves, indicative of the flexibility of the UKs labour market, have
likely contributed to keeping the overall unemployment figures lower than many expected
given the scale of the economic crisis.
Figure 5 shows that underemployment is a much greater problem among young people than
among older age groups. Almost twice as many young people say they would like to work
more hours as older workers.
Training and development
There has been a steady decline in average business investment in in-work training
especially for young people, a trend which also pre-dates the recession. Although the
aggregate figures shown in Figure 6 below cant capture every aspect of in-work training,
the overall trend is clear: this is a further indicator that young peoples experiences of work
particularly work that allows them to develop meaningful careers is getting worse. Since
2002 the proportion of young people that report they have received in-work training in the
last four weeks has fallen from 25% to below 20%. Over the same period the number of
older workers receiving training has also fallen, but by smaller amounts than for young
workers.
The Workplace Employment Relations Survey, 2011 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the2011-workplace-employment-relations-study-wers
13
Figure 6: Business investment in in-work training
Percentage of those in work that have received in-work training in the

last 4 weeks, by age
30
25
20
15
<25
25-34
10
35-65
5
0
Source: Felstead et al. Training in Recession: The impact of the 2008-2009 recession on
training at work, UKCES, September 2013, using LFS
The KFC The Work FoundationYouth Insight survey

We wanted to better understand how young people are faring as the UK emerges slowly
from recession. While some data exists on these subjects for example, the Princes Trust
conduct a yearly Youth Index survey, which focuses on young peoples well-being across a
range of areas we wanted to provide a rich picture of young peoples current experiences
and their attitude towards work and unemployment.
We wanted to highlight areas where young peoples voices can influence this debate, and
inform policymakers and businesses on improving outcomes and experiences of work for all
young people. We have therefore worked with KFC a leading UK employer of young
people, and a regular award winner in Britains Top Employers and partnered with IFF
Research, a leading survey house, to gain a stronger insight into the aspirations and reality
of the world of work for the UKs young people.
A richer appreciation of young peoples understanding of, and attitude to, work, and their
own expectations and experience of work, will also help to develop policies that are better
tailored to young people and their experiences. Since the recession pushed youth
unemployment onto the national consciousness, policy makers have debated how to
14
respond to the problem. However, these debates rarely feature the voices of young people
themselves.
The first KFC The Work Foundation Youth Insight survey looks to gather the authentic
voices of young people on the aspirations for, and experience of, work, and to combine it
with The Work Foundations long-standing research experience in youth unemployment
research and policy. It surveys the situation, views and understanding of young people from
across the UK, and gives insight into their views and situation on areas such as: work
experience, attitudes to work, experience of unemployment, the experience of seeking work,
and training and development opportunities when in work.
Details of the survey methodology are in Appendix 1 of this report.
15
Young peoples aspirations for work and careers
Given their current labour market woes, young people are remarkably upbeat about their
longer-term prospects. From The KFC The Work Foundation Youth Insight survey, two key
findings indicating young peoples aspirations for work and careers are:
-
64 percent of respondents felt confident about their future career prospects
Almost half (48 percent) feel that they are in control of their career.
In a context of media widespread doom and gloom around young peoples attitude to work
3
and suggestions that young people are despairing it is encouraging to see that, when
asked to think about the longer-term, young people have some confidence and maintain high
aspirations. Another indication of these high aspirations is that 63 percent of young people
believe they will eventually be in their ideal job. Perhaps surprisingly, this is a relatively
consistent finding across those employed, currently unemployed, and those not currently
looking for work. Also encouraging is that, of those that are employed a majority 63
percent feel that their job is providing them with skills that will make them more employable
in the future, even if, as other research confirms, young people arent always clear about
how to achieve their aspirations.
Only 16 percent feel that their education to-date has not prepared them well for work,
suggesting the majority of young people feel ready for the challenges their career will bring.
For those who are currently in education (as their primary activity) our survey indicates very
high levels of satisfaction with their current education 91 percent are satisfied and more
than three-quarters profess themselves satisfied with the teaching they receive in their
current course or programme.
It is important to note that we do not believe young people are, in the main, being nave in
their aspirations when responding to the survey. Our findings dovetail with those of another
recent survey, that as young people move on beyond compulsory schooling, their aspirations
become more realistic.
We also asked young people what their ideal job would be, to
double-check what kind of aspirations they had. Contrary to clich, very few suggested X
factor-style instant stardom jobs. The traditional professions like law and accountancy,
medicine and teaching were frequently mentioned, as was starting up a business and,
encouragingly for the authors of this report, market and social research. When the creative
For example, http://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/nov/01/despair-desperation-behind-youth-unemployment

Millward et al. (2006) Young peoples job perceptions and preferences, London: BIS,
http://www.bis.gov.uk/files/file28575.pdf
5
Charlie Bell, Reality check: are young people's career aspirations unrealistic?, The Guardian, 19th March 2013
http://careers.theguardian.com/young-people-career-aspirations-unrealistic
4
16
industries were mentioned, it was often in relation to production and support roles, rather
than on-screen stardom. Animal husbandry was surprisingly popular. We believe young
peoples aspirations are high, but are also grounded at the upper end of what might be
possible. Rather than being overly idealistic, we believe these are the kinds of roles many
could indeed achieve, given the right support, guidance and training.
Comparing aspirations for work qualification levels and gender

If we look in more detail at young peoples desires for work from our survey, we can discern
some distinct differences between groups of young people. As an example, Figure 7 below
shows that a young persons highest level of qualification affects what they are seeking from
work. Figure 7 shows the percentage point difference between respondents as to whether
they put a factor in their top 3 most important things they look for from work. Further to the
right indicates that element is more important for those with higher qualifications, further to
the left indicates that element is more important for those with few or no qualifications. The
relative importance of training and development, and more tangible factors such as hours
offered, salary and holidays among those with fewer or no qualifications contrasts with the
predominance of intrinsic factors such as opportunities for progression and interesting work
among those with relatively higher qualifications.
Figure 7: What do young people with varying levels of highest qualification look for from
work?
Interesting work
Length of commute
Opportunities for progrression
Employer's Reputation
Additional benefits
Job security
Salary
Holidays
Quality of training/development
Number of hours offered
-8
-6
-4
-2
Another interesting comparison for differences young peoples aspirations for work is the
difference between young men and young women. Figure 8, as in Figure 7, shows the
percentage point difference between respondents as to whether they put a factor in in their
top 3 most important things they look for from work. Further to the right indicates that a
factor is more important to young men, further to the left indicates that a factor is more
important for young women. Compared to a comparison by qualification levels, here we see
more of a mix of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, with men favouring some career aspects such
17
as security and progression, but also some extrinsic aspects like salary and benefits. Young
women are more focused on developing themselves, through interesting work and good
quality training. But they also are concerned to ensure they can get the right number of
hours possibly an indication even women aged 16-24 are more keen than young men on
the possibility of working more flexibly, as is the case among older age gruops. The interest
among young men in job security might appear inconsistent with the conventional wisdom
about young workers who are often seen as flighty and uncommitted but in fact this
dovetails with other surveys examining the importance of job security for young people,
6
particularly since the onset of the recession.
Figure 8: What do young men look for from work compared to young women?
Overall in terms of aspirations, the Youth Insight survey suggests that young peoples longterm view of their prospects in the labour market is positive, and that their employment goals
are high, but not, in our view, overly idealistic. There are clear differences between men and
women, and among those with different qualification levels, in what they are seeking from
work, suggesting they will require tailored kinds of support to realise those aspirations.
Pew Research Center (2010) Millenials: a portrait of generation next , http://www.pewresearch.org/millennials/
18
Young peoples experience of work and looking for

work
If we move away from examining how young people see their medium and long-term futures
in the labour market, and focus instead on our survey respondents current experience of
work, and seeking work, we get a much bleaker picture.
The one apparently bright spot in young peoples current experience of the labour market is
that 61 percent of employed young people are satisfied, with their current job. However, it
has recently been suggested that continued positive job satisfaction in the current economic
climate is a poor reflection of young peoples actual level of engagement with their jobs: a
high level of job satisfaction may simply reflect the low expectations of workers workers
may get little from their jobs but if they expect to get little in the first place they may still
7
report relatively high job satisfaction.
To set in context that job satisfaction level, almost half of those in employment do not feel
valued by the employer, and only just over half feel proud to be in their current job, which
suggests the genuine connection to their current role is relatively weak satisfaction as
accepting rather than enthusiasm.
The current experience of work for young people seems to be both insufficient and
unengaging; the former indicated by a very large majority 64 percent who would like to
increase the number of hours they work (working being rather precarious and contingent for
them (32 percent of those in some kind of employment are not guaranteed a certain number
of hours a week in their job), and the latter by young peoples desire to move on: more than
half 54 percent would like to move to a different job in the next 12 months, and,
moreover, only 30 percent indicate they are working in an industry they would like to work in
in the long-term.
When we look at the responses of those young people from less affluent backgrounds, and
with (currently) lower levels of qualifications, we find, as we would expect, that they are more
likely than the average to be pessimistic about their future careers (8 percent more likely),
less likely to be satisfied with their current job when they are in work (10 percent less likely),
and more likely to feel they are struggling to cope if they are unemployed (9 percent more
likely).
th
David Spencer, Why reported job satisfaction is a poor guide to job quality in Britain, Pieria, 4
September 2013,
http://www.pieria.co.uk/articles/why_reported_job_satisfaction_is_a_poor_guide_to_job_quality_in_br
itain
19
Experience of work training

One area of their current jobs where young people are positive is training. But the survey
indicates that access to training is far from universal for those young people in work. In fact,
18.4 percent of employed respondents suggest they have received no training in the last 12
months, including informal training. Figure 9 below shows that on-the-job or informal
training is the most popular approach to training young people but even that has only been
experienced by half of the surveys sample of young employed people.
Figure 9: Types of training young people have received in the last 12 months
Percentage of those in work that have received

On-the-job / informal training
Induction training
Work experience
Independent study
Lectures/conferences
Online training
Apprenticeship
Webinars
Other
.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
Formal off-site training does not appear to be a major feature of young peoples formal
development at work, with work experience, online training and independent study all
featuring as major training methods.
The training that young people have received they have generally found to be relevant, they
learned something new, and they believe it allowed them to do their job better. Figure 10
below indicates what percentage of respondents agreed that their training had given them a
particular advantage or attribute. Many more seem to agree that the training helps them
within work being relevant and doing new things, than it helps them with more tangible
labour market changes such as getting a job with a new employer, in a new industry, or
gaining an higher wage. This is potentially related to the relevance statistic. It may be that
much of the (informal, on the job) training is very closely focused on their current job, rather
than providing broader development which would be considered more transferable.
20
Satisfaction levels with training

Relevant
Learned something new
Do job better
Will help find work in future
Makes feel more positive to emp
Satisfied with amoung of training in last 21
Will help find work in right field
Makes want to stay with emp
Earn higher wage
-40.0
-20.0
Disagree
20.0
40.0
60.0
80.0
Agree
Figure 10: What do young people believe they are getting from their training?
Young Peoples experience of looking for work

For those that are currently unemployed the current picture is particularly bleak. 23 percent
appear to have given up hope of finding a job, saying they have no chance of finding a job
where they live in the near future. And, in consequence, 32 percent feel they are struggling
to cope with unemployment.
These results are similar to those from the most-recent Princes Trust Youth Index, which
focuses more directly on young peoples wellbeing. It indicates that periods especially
extended periods of unemployment are currently having a severe effect on young peoples
8
wellbeing. Particularly notable in relation to our finding that 32 percent of our sample feel
they are struggling to cope with unemployment is the Princes Trust finding that 55 percent of
young people not in education, employment or training feel their life has been put on hold
due to unemployment.
There is a clear need to ensure young people remain engaged and supported in the process
of seeking work if they are to escape the sense of their lives on hold, and to avoid feeling
that they struggle to cope with unemployment.
Princes Trust (2013) The Princes Trust Youth Index 2013, London: Princes Trust.
http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/pdf/youth-index-2013.pdf
21
Approaches to seeking work

An important aspect of young peoples approach to finding work is who they look to for
advice and guidance. Figure 11 below indicates the percentage of young people who are
using a particular source for information about careers, and career options.
Percentage of young people that have used a specific

source of careers advice
Parents
Teachers
Friends
Career websites
School's career advice service
Other family
Social media
JobCentre
Employers/business people
Industry/professional bodies
National Careers Service
University careers service
Careers apps
I have not received any careers advice
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Figure 11: Where do young people get careers advice?

As is clear from Figure 11, parents are the most-used source of careers advice for young
people. This has implications, as it may be limiting the careers information that young people
receive, i.e. related to their parents careers. A well-functioning careers service must be
knowledgeable enough to provide a wide range of possibilities for young people, as well as
helping young people towards options that are well-suited to the young persons interests
and skills. It is arguable that parents and friends are not well placed to do this.
Another question from the survey, examining how useful young people found each of these
sources of careers advice indicates that young people rated formal channels such as
schools career advice service, JobCentres and Careers Services less highly than the more
informal channels. This indicates that that young people are most likely to use information
received from sources they know, and most likely to place more trust in these sources. Even
career websites rated higher in terms of usefulness than schools career services.
22
Experience of work and looking for work the regional picture

In many respects, such as attitudes towards education, our survey identified consistent
opinions among young people in different parts of the UK. However there were some issues
on which young peoples opinions in different regions varied significantly. In particular, there
were discrepancies in regional job satisfaction levels, in career confidence and in pessimism
among the unemployed.
There are no clear patterns to regional attitudes among young people. Some regions have
young people with high job satisfaction while also scoring lower for career confidence and
the optimism of the unemployed. It appears that each region has its own strengths and
weaknesses. We will track regional responses in future surveys to see if a more consistent
picture emerges.
Job satisfaction
There is variation in job satisfaction across the UKs regions. On the basic question are
you satisfied with your current job? young people in the East Midlands expressed the most
satisfaction (75% said they were satisfied with their job) and those in Northern Ireland the
least (52% said they were satisfied). Respondents from regions expressing low satisfaction
were the South West and West Midlands.
Figure 12: Satisfaction with current job by region
Satified with current job

Northern Ireland
South West
West Midlands
South East
Wales
East of England
Yorkshire & Humber
North West
London
Scotland
North East
East Midlands
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Interestingly, the spread of job satisfaction levels shown in Figure 12 are not perfectly
mirrored in the more detailed job satisfaction levels. Some regions are happier with some
aspects of their jobs than others. For instance, while young people in East Midlands rank
highest for overall job satisfaction, they do less well on job pride, and less well on
23
satisfaction with earnings. Young people in the South West of England express low overall
job satisfaction (57% are satisfied with their job, compared to 65% across the UK) but are
among the happiest with their pay (56% are satisfied with their earnings, compared to the
overall average of 48%).
Career confidence
There is some variation in how confident young people in different regions are in their future
career prospects. This is best illustrated by looking at responses to the question how
confident are you of one day having your ideal job? Most notable is the lack of confidence
in Wales. Fewer than half (49%) thought they would land their ideal job in the future,
compared to almost two thirds (64%) overall in the UK, and compared to regions such as the
North East and East Midlands, where over 70% of young people expect to have their ideal
job in the future.
Figure 13: Young peoples confidence of one day having their ideal job
Confidence of one day having ideal job

Wales
Northern Ireland
West Midlands
South West
South East
North West
East of England
Scotland
London
Yorkshire & Humber
North East
East Midlands
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Attitudes while unemployed

There is significant variation in the confidence among unemployed young people in different
regions of their chances of finding work. Overall in the UK, 35% of unemployed young
people say they are confident of finding work in the next three months. There is high
confidence in Northern Ireland, where 48% are confident of finding work in the next three
months, and low confidence in the North East of England, where a very low 21% are
confident. To a lesser extent, unemployed young people in Wales, Yorkshire and Humber
and Scotland are also lack confidence that they will be able to find work in the near future.
24
Another interesting measure of the attitudes among the unemployed especially for the
regional dimension is how confident young people are of finding work where they live. As
Figure 14 shows, young unemployed people in the North East are by far the least confident,
about their chances of finding work in their local labour market, with over a third (35%)
saying they have no chance of finding work where they live. There is also significant
pessimism in the West Midlands, with 28% of unemployed young people feeling they have
no chance of finding work where they live.
Figure 14: Young unemployed people on their job chances in their local area
I have no chance of finding work where I live

(unemployed young people)
South West
East of England
Scotland
Wales
London
East Midlands
Northern Ireland
South East
Yorkshire & Humber
North West
West Midlands
North East
0%
5%
10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
There were also significant regional differences in whether unemployed young people feel
that unemployment has a negative impact on them. In the UK overall, 57% of unemployed
young people think unemployment has a negative impact on them. In the West Midlands
over 70% of young unemployed people think they are being negatively affected, compared
to less than half in Yorkshire and Humber, London and the South East.
Immigration
Our survey asked young people whether they think immigration has reduced the number of
jobs available for people like them, and interestingly found significant variation in different
parts of the country. Young people in the North East and London significantly less likely than
other regions to connect immigration with lack of jobs, with only around a third (34% and
35% respectively) saying they think immigration has reduced job opportunities for them.
Young people in Northern Ireland and the South West of England expressed most concern
about immigration. In these areas, almost half of young people draw a connection between
immigration and a fewer job opportunities for them (47% in both areas).
25
Two nations?
Young people are a varied group. In this report the phrase young people is used to refer to
people aged between 16 and 24 but within this age bracket are people facing wildly differing
circumstances. Someone who has left school at age 16 after their GCSEs is in a very
different position to a 24 year-old who has a degree and potentially three years work
experience. Young peoples experiences will also be affected by where they live, by the
education they have received, by the local labour market conditions, by the support available
to them from their parents and others, and by the industry they are trying to find work in.
To show how different young peoples experiences can be, we selected two distinct groups
within our sample. These groups are separated by their socio-economic background and by
their local labour market conditions. We called these groups disadvantaged and well
positioned.
Disadvantaged: Young people living in areas with weak economies (North East,
North West, Yorkshire and Humber, Wales, Northern Ireland) from a lower socioeconomic background (C2DE on the NRS social grade)
Well positioned: Young people living in areas with strong economies (London and
South East) and from higher socio-economic groups (ABC1 on the NRS social
grade).
Overall, disadvantaged young people show lower levels of job satisfaction (although higher
satisfaction with earnings), are less likely to believe that education prepared them well for
work, feel less confident about their career prospects, if unemployed are more pessimistic
about finding work in their area, and are more likely to think that Government needs to do
more to help young people.
Job satisfaction
On most measures the Well Positioned group are more satisfied with their jobs. The graph
below shows the variables from the Youth Insight survey related to job satisfaction. A
positive value represents higher satisfaction expressed by the Well Positioned group (in
percentage points difference between those that agree with the statement from each group).
A negative bar pointing left represents greater agreement with the statement among the
Disadvantaged group.
This shows that on all but two measures the Well Positioned group are more satisfied with
their jobs. The Disadvantaged group are happier with their earnings, and are more likely to
feel valued by their employer. However, the Well Positioned group feel more overall job
satisfaction, are almost 10 percentage points more likely to be working in an industry they
would like to work in in the long term, and are also much more likely to feel stimulated by
and proud of their current job.
26
Figure 15: What makes disadvantaged and well positioned young people satisfied with
their job?
Job satisfaction: Disadvantaged group compared to Well

Positioned group
Industry I want to work in
Would move job if offered more training
Satisfied with job
Stimulated by job
Gives skills that make more employable
Proud of job
Skills well utilised
Would like to move job in next 12 months
Employer interested in career
Satisfied with earnings
Feel valued by employer
-8.00 -6.00 -4.00 -2.00 0.00 2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00
Percentage point difference between Disadvantaged group (left) and
Well Positioned group (right)
Education
On education, both groups expressed similar satisfaction levels on most measures (including
on the quality of teaching, and on careers advice received). However, one notable difference
between the groups was in their respective belief that their education had prepared them
well for work. 52.3% of the Well Positioned group believed their education had done so,
compared to just 43.8% of those in the Disadvantaged group.
Unemployment
Among the unemployed members of the two groups there are similar confidence levels
about their chances of finding work in the short (3 months) and long term (12 months).
However, a difference emerges when the groups report their confidence of finding work
where I live. The Disadvantaged group are 6 percentage points more likely to agree with the
statement I have no chance of finding work where I live.
This result is not surprising. The groups were deliberately selected to reflect the impact that
location has on young peoples attitudes. The disadvantaged group all live in areas that have
experienced very low growth over the past decade. There are simply fewer jobs available in
27
these places than in London and the South East, which is where the Well Positioned group
live.
Perhaps less expected are the differing experiences of unemployment reported by the two
groups. The proportion of unemployed young people who said they could not cope with
unemployment was 14 percentage points higher in the Disadvantaged group than the Well
Positioned group. Similarly, the Disadvantaged group are 10 percentage points more likely
to believe that unemployment has a negative impact on them.
The Disadvantaged group also appear less well placed to move from unemployment into
work. They express less confidence about communicating with employers by phone and
email, and are 6 percentage points more likely to want more support with job applications.
Unhelpfully, the Disadvantaged group are also less likely to have ever received useful
feedback from an employer that had turned them down for a job.
Future career
Across three key variables relating to career confidence, the Well Positioned Group express
greater confidence. They feel more in control of their career, they are more confident about
their future career, and they are (to a slightly lesser extent) more confident about eventually
getting their ideal job.
Career confidence: Disadvantaged group compared to

Well Positioned group
Feel in control
of career
Confident about
future career
Confident of eventually
getting ideal job
0%
10%
20%
Disadvantaged
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Well Positioned
Figure 16: career confidence of our two nations groups
Experiences of work have hardened attitudes to the Government?
28
One reading of the survey data is that the poorer experiences of work and unemployment,
and lower career confidence among the Disadvantaged group have hardened their attitude
towards the government. This group are 9 percent more likely to think that the government is
not doing young people into work. This group is also significantly more likely to make a
connection between immigration and their own labour market outcome: 48.3 percent of the
Disadvantaged group think that immigration has reduced the number of jobs available for
them, compared to just 34.6 percent of the Well Positioned group.
29
Conclusions and Recommendations
An overall improvement in economic outlook in the UK will, of course, start to create at least
incremental improvements in levels and rates of youth employment. The recession has
taken a major toll on the ability of young people to find work, and good work, and has been a
major factor in current near-record levels of youth unemployment.
But it is abundantly clear from the labour market statistics we have reviewed for this report,
and the findings of the first KFC Work Foundation Youth Insight survey, that problems in
9
the UK youth labour market pre-date the recession , and that there are a range issues in
supporting young people into work and through their early careers which are likely to remain
problems even in a strong economic recovery. The most recent UK labour market statistics
September 2013 in fact suggest that employment numbers are improving for nearly all
10
groups and types of jobs except for young people.
There are therefore pressing concerns around the system for supporting young people out of
education and into meaningful careers concerns that will require attention even if the UK
enters a period of strong economic growth. This is not an area where the overall economic
outlook dictates all of the outcomes we know from international comparisons that a
countrys policies and practices around supporting young people into good employment can
make a vast difference to young peoples education-to-work transitions. Examples of
countries the UK can learn from who have faced similar recessions to ours but who have
achieved lower young unemployment rates would include Germany around apprenticeships,
Denmarks range of active labour market policies, and Netherlands in terms of flexible labour
markets for young people.
11
A key aspect to success or failure for young people concerns how the different stakeholders
in the system operate together. The first KFC Work Foundation Youth Insight survey has
found a range of areas where young people are being let down when they need be
supported in realising their aspirations for work and careers. The survey indicates that
young people need better support from businesses and employers in terms of access to
work, feedback through the job application process, and development when in-role. But they
For more detailed analysis, see Sissons et al. (2012) Short term crisis long-term problem?
Addressing the youth employment challenge. The Work Foundation: London.
http://www.theworkfoundation.com/DownloadPublication/Report/314_shortterm%20crisis_long_term_problem.pdf
10
Office of National Statistics (September 2013) http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/labour-marketstatistics/september-2013/table-a06.xls
11
Crowley et al. (2013) International Lessons: Youth Unemployment in a global context. The Work
Foundation: London. http://www.theworkfoundation.com/Reports/329/International-Lessons-Youthunemployment-in-the-global-context
30
also need schools and education providers to give more access to work experience
opportunities, and stronger careers advice and guidance. And they require government
support through schemes which genuinely help young people smoothly transition from
education and into careers which have strong opportunities for development and
progression.
Most important is that action to support young people is coordinated across these
stakeholders business, government and education at both a national level and at a local
level (see Figure 17 below). At a national level, business must engage with education
providers and government to help inform and understand policy, and shape cohesive
strategies. The outcomes of collaboration at the national level must be clear leadership,
drive, and, of course, resources for a wide range of innovative initiatives at the local level
which also bring together businesses, schools and Further Education, and local government.
.
Figure 17: Business, government and education providers must co-ordinate support at a
national and at a local level
In addition to increasing the levels of coordination at a national and local level, the findings
from the survey suggest that the following four specific areas are important for stakeholders
to focus upon in improving the system for supporting young people from education and into
work: apprenticeships, careers advice, work experience, and in-work training.
31
Apprenticeships
In recent years, apprenticeships have been re-established as a major and growing vehicle
for vocational transitions which combine education and employment. Numbers of
apprenticeships have soared since 2008. However, as Figure 18 below shows, contrary to
many assumptions about apprenticeships, in fact the vast majority of those new
12
apprenticeships instituted since 2009-10 have gone to those aged over 25. While there is
of course a place for apprenticeship-style employment support for older adults,
apprenticeships should be a primary approach to giving structured and tailored support for
young people into stable and meaningful employment and careers.
Better information about apprenticeships is also crucial. From the Youth Insight survey, as
an example, nearly 35 percent of respondents erroneously believe that you dont get paid if
youre doing an apprenticeship.
400,000
350,000
300,000
250,000
200,000
16-18
150,000
19-24
100,000
25+
50,000
0
Figure 18: Numbers of formal apprenticeships by age group, 2002-2012

1) Businesses and government should focus attention on providing and
expanding apprenticeships specifically for young people, with a focus
ensuring they are a genuine route into continuous in-work development, and
meaningful careers.
12
Forthcoming research from The Work Foundation on apprenticeships will also examine whether
there is sufficient focus within apprenticeships on using them to help transition young people from
education and into employment, as opposed to providing apprenticeships for existing employees.
32
Careers Advice
The Youth Insight survey shows that parents are the most frequently used source of career
advice, with professional advice, including through schools, lagging far behind other sources
13
a finding consistent with other research on young peoples career advice. Unfortunately
professional careers advice often singled out as a weak area in the UKs education-toemployment system appears to have suffered through a recent major policy change giving
schools rather than local authorities responsibility for careers advice provision. As a recent
Ofsted report on schools provision of careers advice and guidance concluded:
Three quarters of the schools visited for the survey were not implementing their duty
to provide impartial careers advice effectively. The survey also finds that guidance
for schools on careers advice is not explicit, the National Careers Service is not
promoted well enough and there is a lack of employer engagement in schools.
14
There is also evidence that what provision there is is patchy, both in terms of a postcode
lottery, with the extent of advice being dependent on where you live, but also in terms of
15
which point within your education you might receive it. In many cases careers advice and
guidance appears not to be linked to other parts of the education-to-work transition system
such as work experience. The Youth Insight survey indicates clearly that young people feel
the careers advice and guidance they get at the moment is lacking.
2) There is a pressing need for stronger, better-informed careers advice and
guidance for young people, provided on a more consistent basis while young
people are still in education, and with far greater involvement of employers in
the career advice process, including the education and training of
professional careers advisors.
16
Work Experience
The Youth Insight survey indicates that many young peoples current experience of work is
less than satisfactory but that prior experience of the workplace is particularly important in
13
Millward et al. (2006) Young peoples job perceptions and preferences, London: BIS,
http://www.bis.gov.uk/files/file28575.pdf
14
OFSTED (2013) Going in the right direction? Careers guidance in schools from September 2012,
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/news/careers-guidance-schools-not-working-well-enough-0
15
The Pearson Think Tank (2013) Careers 2020 Phase 2, London:
http://thepearsonthinktank.com/2013/research-report-careers-2020-phase-two-a-cloudy-horizon-2/
16
Balaram, Brhmie, and Crowley, Lizzie (2012) Raising aspirations and smoothing transitions: The
role of careers education and careers guidance in tackling youth unemployment, The Work
Foundation: London.
http://www.theworkfoundation.com/DownloadPublication/Report/320_UPDATEDFinal%20proof%20of
%20CECG.pdf
33
entering the labour market. Broadly, young people with greater work experience, are more
positive about how a career prospects. Therefore ensuring sufficient opportunity for
meaningful experience of work while still in education is crucial, as part of a smooth
transition from education to the workplace.
The Youth Insight findings tally with other sources on the importance of strong and
meaningful work experience for example, on leaving education, some 48 per cent of young
people not in education, training or employment have no experience of paid work; and this
17
figure has increased from 41 per cent in 2001. The number of young people leaving
education with no experience of the workplace is rising, and the number of students
combining work and study is falling.
18
There is a clear role for employers to work with schools and government to provide a wider
range of high-quality work experience placements for young people, with a focus on those
who might otherwise leave education with minimal or no experience of the workplace.
3) Particularly for those leaving full-time education with lower qualification
levels, prior and meaningful experience of the workplace is crucial. No young
people should be leaving full-time education without strong and meaningful
experience of the workplace. The provision of high-quality work experience
provided by business and employers and coordinated by schools and
government should be prioritised, and more rigorously enforced.
In-Work Training
The Youth Insight survey shows that young people have highly-positive attitudes towards the
training they receive in work and believe that the training they have received is helping
their careers and making them more employable. But in the broader picture levels of training
for young people has been falling on average, and at a faster rate than the drop in
19
investment in training for other age groups in the workforce. And the Youth Insight survey
also worryingly found that more than 18% of young people reported not receiving any
training in the last 12 months.
A recent major OECD report on adult skills found that, uniquely among the developed
nations, skill levels among the UKs young people were no higher than those in the
workforce immediately in the group prior to retirement this despite advances in education,
17
Sissons, Paul and Jones, Katie (2012) Lost in transition? The changing labour market and young
people not in employment, education or training. The Work Foundation: London.
http://theworkfoundation.com/DownloadPublication/Report/310_lost_in_transition%20(2).pdf
18
Thomspon, Spencer (2013) Experience of work raises chances of employment, London: IPPR,
http://www.ippr.org/articles/56/11135/experience-of-work-raises-chances-of-employment
19
Felstead et al. (2013) Training in Recession: The impact of the 2008-2009 recession on training at
work, UKCES, http://www.ukces.org.uk/publications/er72-training-in-recession
34
20
technology, and young people having been in education more recently. Failing to invest in
training young people as they enter and develop in the workforce risks perpetuating an
hourglass model of the labour market, with a large proportion of employees trapped in
lower-skilled, lower wage roles without the opportunity to progress and develop. Instead,
meaningful development opportunities and progression paths should be available to all
young people in work.
21
The longer term business case for investment in the careers of young people is strong , but
government, schools and businesses all need to take some responsibility for provision of ongoing training.
A crucial part of ensuring young people have a smooth transition between education and the
labour market is ensuring there is continued investment in them to develop careers and the
possibility of progression as part of a life-long learning strategy. As part of a coordinated
national and local system of youth employment policy and practice, combining business,
schools and government, in-work training should be seen as part of the overall and ongoing
process of transitioning young people from education and into work.
4) The decline in the amount of training employers give young people must be
reversed. There is a huge opportunity to expand in-work training for young
people to ensure smoother transitions between education and employment,
and to get young people on the escalator of a career rather than, for too
many, a cycle of low-wage work, and unemployment or underemployment.
22
20
OECD (2013) Survey of Adult Skills, http://www.oecd.org/site/piaac/surveyofadultskills.htm

Hogarth, T. et al. (2012) Employer Investment in Apprenticeships and Workplace Learning: The Fifth
Net Benefits of Training to Employers Study: BIS paper No. 67,
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/32306/12-814employer-investment-in-apprenticeships-fifth-net-benefits-study.pdf
22
Sissons, Paul (2011) The Hourglass and the Escalator: Labour Market Change and Mobility. The
Work Foundation: London.
http://www.theworkfoundation.com/DownloadPublication/Report/292_hourglass_escalator120711%2
0(2)%20(3).pdf
21
35
Appendix Methodology
This report uses a new, nationally representative sample of 2,056 young people (aged 16 to
24) to draw findings on young peoples attitudes to work, unemployment, careers, education
and training and other issues. The survey was conducted by research company IFF
Research, who used their bank of regular respondents to form the sample. The data has
been weighted to provide results indicative of the national youth cohort.
We intend to repeat this survey on a regular basis potentially every six months or once a
year. Each iteration of the survey will repeat the main body of the questions, allowing us to
track young peoples opinions and attitudes over time. We will also use these surveys to
focus on particular issues relating to young people and work. This first survey focuses on
experiences of and attitudes towards in-work training.
As well as the Youth Insight survey, this report also uses evidence and data from other
reports and surveys. Other data sources used include:
The Governments Labour Force Survey for statistics on earnings, unemployment,

job turnover and under-employment
The Workplace Employment Relations Survey for data on job satisfaction
Data from the National Apprenticeships Service for data on apprenticeships
36
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the support and insight of the following individuals in
undertaking this research and preparing this report:
-
Jenny, Ian, James and Martin from KFC
Clare, Lee and Alex from Freuds Communications

Emma and David from IFF Research
Emma, Hem and Gemma from Signal & Noise
Anna, Lizzie, Ceri, Katy, Charles, Nina, Conor and Angelo from the Work Foundation
The Work Foundation aims to be the leading independent, international authority on work
and its future, influencing policy and practice for the benefit of society. Through its rigorous
research programmes targeting organisations, cities, regions and economies, The Work
Foundation is a leading provider of research-based analysis, knowledge exchange and
policy advice in the UK and beyond. Organisations from across all industry sectors can sign
up as partners to gain access and active involvement in research, thinking and practice
emerging from its work. The Work Foundation is part of Lancaster University an alliance
37
that enables both organisations to further enhance their impact.
Contact details
Dr Benjamin Reid, Senior Researcher

breid@theworkfoundation.com
@drbenjaminreid
Nye Cominetti, Research Assistant
ncominetti@theworkfoundation.com
@nyecominetti
The Work Foundation
21 Palmer Street
London SW1H 0AD
info@theworkfoundation.com
www.theworkfoundation.com
All rights reserved The Work Foundation (Lancaster University). No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form without prior written permission of the publishers. For further
information please contact info@theworkfoundation.com. The Work Foundation Alliance Limited, 21 Palmer Street,
London, SW1H 0AD, UK. Registered Charity No. 1146813. Registered as a company limited by guarantee No.
7746776. Registered address: Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4YW, UK.
38
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340 - Aspirations and Experience

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October 2013

Young people and unemployment in the UK

Young people in employment in the UK

The KFC The Work Foundation Youth Insight survey

Young peoples aspirations for work and careers

Careers and ideal jobs

Comparing aspirations for work qualification level and gender

Young peoples experience of work and looking for work

Experience of work training

Young Peoples experience of looking for work

Experience of work and looking for work the regional picture

Conclusions and Recommendations

Key findings from the survey

63% are confident in their career prospects

64% believe they will eventually be in their ideal job

Of those employed, 50% feel in control of their career

62% of those in employment would like to work more hours

32% of those in employment are not guaranteed a certain number of hours a

3. A significant minority of currently unemployed young people almost a quarter

54% want to move jobs in the next 12 months

65% would like more support in applying for jobs

Only 15% have ever received useful feedback from an unsuccessful

Large employers of young people in the UK have an important responsibility to engage at

2) Careers advice and guidance major strengthening required, including more

3) Work experience no young people should leave full-time education without

There is a huge opportunity to expand in-work training for young people to

Introduction and Context

Young people and unemployment in the UK

Youth unemployment in the UK is a long-term problem

Youth unemployment by qualification level, by duration

Unemployed fewer than 12 months

The international picture

Source: OECD StatExtracts, Eurostat

Young people in employment and in-work training in the UK

The Workplace Employment Relations Survey, 2011 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the2011-workplace-employment-relations-study-wers

Figure 6: Business investment in in-work training

Percentage of those in work that have received in-work training in the

The KFC The Work FoundationYouth Insight survey

Young peoples aspirations for work and careers

64 percent of respondents felt confident about their future career prospects

For example, http://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/nov/01/despair-desperation-behind-youth-unemployment

Comparing aspirations for work qualification levels and gender

Pew Research Center (2010) Millenials: a portrait of generation next , http://www.pewresearch.org/millennials/

Young peoples experience of work and looking for

Experience of work training

Percentage of those in work that have received

Satisfaction levels with training

Young Peoples experience of looking for work

Approaches to seeking work

Percentage of young people that have used a specific

Figure 11: Where do young people get careers advice?

Experience of work and looking for work the regional picture

Satified with current job

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Confidence of one day having ideal job

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Attitudes while unemployed

I have no chance of finding work where I live

10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Job satisfaction: Disadvantaged group compared to Well

Career confidence: Disadvantaged group compared to

Figure 16: career confidence of our two nations groups

Experiences of work have hardened attitudes to the Government?