Letters responding to an article about the obstacles young people face in the search for jobs highlight a generation stuck with fewer opportunities. Margaret Carradus from Preesall, Lancashire, recalls that when she and her husband graduated in 1980, it took him 18 months to find work as a trainee IT programmer, not in his field of microbiology. She notes that today's young people need at least two incomes to build a life, and her youngest son, with a science degree, faced hundreds of rejections before being employed as an accounting trainee, lucky to still live at home. She criticizes Tony Blair's concept of degrees for all as an abject failure and calls for government-created workplace roles, such as young carers or school aides.
Personal Struggles with Benefits and Job Applications
Susan West from Quorn, Leicestershire, supports her 26-year-old son on her pension because he cannot get jobseeker's allowance after graduating with a first-class degree in cybersecurity in 2022. A small inheritance puts him over the limit for universal credit, so he likely doesn't appear in government statistics. He has applied for hundreds of jobs in the East Midlands within commuting distance, but cybersecurity jobs are rare, and a government-funded data technician course still requires two years' experience. He has had only six interviews, mostly without feedback. West suggests charities should offer problem-solving work experience to help jobseekers build skills for interviews.
Brexit's Impact on Young People's Futures
Paul Kelly from Dublin, Ireland, argues that Brexit has robbed young people of the chance to travel freely and find work in the EU as easily as their parents' generation. He emphasizes that reducing freedom of movement also meant Britons lost their EU freedom of movement, and calls for an agreement with the EU to give young people more opportunities abroad. Kelly himself left the UK years ago and found opportunity overseas.
The Role of Flexible Earning Opportunities
Catherine Parsons, managing director of Big Issue, notes that the number of 18- to 24-year-olds selling the Big Issue has more than doubled since 2022. She states that social security alone fails to lift people out of poverty, and flexible earning opportunities like selling the Big Issue are crucial for those facing barriers such as mental health problems or caring responsibilities. However, low-skill, short-term work chips away at confidence. She advocates for sustained one-on-one engagement with a trusted job coach, and highlights Big Issue Recruit, which provides specialist coaches to build confidence and match candidates with employment, with continued support after hiring. She urges government and business to invest in helping people overcome barriers to avoid economic and social costs.
