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'Lost generation’: why can’t young people get jobs? What should be done?

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LemonJam Thu 28-May-26 18:25:33

Alan Milburn has delivered the first part of his government-commissioned report on why increasing numbers of people aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment or training (Neet).

1) This is a very significant and increasing problem. About 1 million young people across the UK are not in jobs, training or education – about one in eight – and things are getting worse.
2) It is very connected to inequality. A constant thread of the report is that these issues are structural, not down to today’s young people being work shy or coddled. And much of this is due to disparities in wealth, background, education, geography or ethnicity.
3) Health issues, including mental health, play a huge role. Health “has become central to who becomes Neet and who stays Neet”, calling this “a story that should disturb anyone who cares about the future of young people in this country”.
4) The social security system does not help. The study estimates that for every £25 the Department for Work and Pensions spends on benefits for young people, it devotes just £1 to helping them back into work, calling this symptomatic of a system which does little to change things.
5) *The labour market is difficult*- Entry-level jobs are becoming harder to get, in part because of this remote recruitment, but also because the roles traditionally filled by younger people – retail, customer service, warehousing – are now either scarcer or more specialised.
6) There are many structural issues . As many young people assume they will never be able to afford their own home, there is a lack of the stability required to plan work or training.
7) This is not about laziness or a generation unsuited to work. They are, however, a product of a changed world: “Young people are different from those who came before them. Not worse. Not lazier. Not less intelligent. But different in ways that have material consequences.”

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M0nica Mon 01-Jun-26 21:33:41

Frenchgalinspain

I do not believe a Curriculum Vitae is enough to obtain an interview or interest in the job seeker ..

Definitely, a Professionally written cover letter is the key to success.

This opens the door of interest to reading the Curriculum and promotes a connection to the Human Resource Director or Manager who has received the C.V.

Another key point is have the Cover Letter and The C.V. delivered to the company in a classic 8x 11 or 9 x 12 envelope to the director of Human Resources or the advertiser seeking the candidate ..

Photo should be professional and dress should be a suit and tie for men and a suit with a lovely blouse for ladies.

Navy blue or black or a pale fawn beige. Classic and elegant Shirt in white or vanilla.

Stop at the hairdresser and get a wash and blow dry.

Yes, that is how it was when I was in the job market from early 1960s to mid 1990s.

However that is not how it works now. An application not sent online will not be seen. Their will be a very detailed form to fill in aimed at being appropriate for everyone who applies for the job. The questions will be narrowly prescriptive. The initial sort may be done by AI or to the 'marks sheet drawn up, again to remove any chances of prejudice against any group. At interview, that too will be narrow and prescriptive

As for dress and hair. Most young women have long hair so no wash and blow dry. As for the suit, I am not sure where anyone could buy a nice women's suit today. DD has being making rapid career progress in the last 10 years and is now very well paid - and works in banking. I do not think she has ever owned a suit - and she is in her mid-50s

I had a successful career without ever wearing a navy, black or beige suit, all my most unflattering colours, or a white/cream shirt. I got my best job when I wore a grey suit with a fuchsia pink shirt to the interview. I kept the matching fuchsia pink tights for after I started the job.

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faringdon59 Thu 04-Jun-26 10:31:17

I so....agree with MOnica's comments on here.
Modern child rearing coupled with overuse of phones etc all serve as factors for this problem.
The 'bedroom culture' is a real issue. Young people eating on their own in their rooms!
Sitting round a table as a family is important. Communication, eye contact, table manners.....all essential life skills.
Effectively in lots of modern households parents and kids are living parallel lives.
Resilience is not being built into children/young peoples lives on a gradual day to day basis.
So, they arrive at adulthood effectively disadvantaged by being cossetted.
In the 60's you could stay in your room because it was freezing!! :-)

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