1.2 million 16-24 year olds currently out of work?

Yes, I heard that too. It was The Bottom Line with Evan Davies yesterday. About networking.

It's just so sad, and society can't really afford that many kids to go to uni either hence they are paying a fortune in fees and no guarantee of a job at the end of it.

Lots of people 15 years older than me only had HND qualifications, by my generation businesses were looking for BSc with Hons

I'm half convinced the policy was about reducing the unemployment figures rather than actual having a qualified population

For winter jobs, depending on where you are Royal Mail always used to be a good bet for Christmas jobs - they start hiring extra workers a few months before so you (or your child) need to apply then but the pay isn't that bad and working in sorting offices doesn't require driving.

Of course it might have changed now in line with Royal Mail's new apparent policy of "throw half the parcels in a bin".

Its also easier for companies to hire people either full time or on flexible contracts rather than having to work around school hours etc. So when I was at University but was working at a fast food place weekends, I had a big argument with the manager because he wanted me to come into work on a bank holiday Monday because "Bank holiday counts as a weekend day". I still had classes on a Monday so refused. He was an arsehole but its easier for the people writing the rotas not to have to factor in half the staff only being able to work weekends and evenings (but not too late in the evening).

There really aren't. There might be "plenty" of jobs for people with a few years of experience, but fresh out of education? Not at all. DD couldn't even secure a volunteer role as they wanted two years of retail experience. She applied for everything and anything until she managed to finally get a job MONTHS later. It certainly wasn't due to lack of trying or lack of applications.

My daughter has applied for 200 since September - she’s kept a record.

There really aren't

There are plenty of jobs for youngsters who actually want to work.

My eldest children have been working in part time jobs through college and now have full time jobs.

My third child is currently in college and has a part time job but it is zero hour seasonal (wedding hotel) so she's been looking for a winter job and not getting any luck.

The main incentive mine have had to work young is for driving lessons and a car (we are rural with limited buses). A lot of the town youngsters my third knows right now haven't got part time jobs.

I think it is tougher with online applications. We used to be able to pop in get a paper form and have a chat to see how good our chances might be.

Think you're misunderstanding my post. Driving is not required in the vacancies oftenadvertised. It's working in the recycling centres sorting out residents waste at weekends. Walking from one skip to another, sweeping debris etc.

@lavenderlou can she do on line work

I heard a lady on R4 explaining that because of the internet companies are getting thousands of applications per job, as people can just click a button and apply for 100 at a time. Because of this the companies are having to filter the responses. This means things like "need a degree" or "has to have experience".

So yes, young people can't get work.

In the two LAs I live between, they want a three years driving licence. In areas were there is competition for jobs, the average under 23 year olds don't stand a chance.
A lot of jobs have gone, as said. Pubs aren't busy enough to pay a designated glass collector, you've got to be old and experienced enough to serve/waitress as well. There's no unloading jobs, you've got to be able to drive or have fork lift experience.
As for the poster who talked about cleaning at 13, there'd be no chance now. I see lots of young people doing much more than previous generations have had to do, they are better educated etc, but things are weighted against them.

Same. My town has a huge Goan population (biggest in the UK). Lots of older Goan women, not teens.

Recently I’ve seen some very young looking teenagers working at my local cinema and swimming pool. Also a few in local pubs. But the shops around me seem to be mainly staffed by older workers.

Yes it would annoy me too

A lot of schools have dropped, or won't support, year 10 work experience. In my area the few that still allow two weeks work experience have nothing to with finding a placement.

Only children with good contacts and family support can find somewhere. My DS wasn't able to do it (no companies replied to his emails) and he said about 25% of the other kids were at school as normal in that fortnight. In an ideal world the local council, large retailers and offices should be on board with work experience.

My 'gentle parenting' friends now have three adults in their house who do not work or contribute in any way.
All three of the young adults play on internet games all night but and sleep all day.

Ranging from 19-24.

I would hope a lot of the 16-19 year olds are still in education of some kind! And many of the 16- early 20s will also be at uni, college, apprenticeships etc
I full intend my children to be in education until they’re 21/22 or at least that the pathway they’re on now with uni in the mix.
If it makes you feel better my 14 year old DOES have a job.

The truth is there are a lot of 16 year olds who leave school after their GCSEs, start college and then drop out. The travesty is the kids who probably need the most support are ejected from their secondary school at 16, put into college environments where there is often a lot less structure, or are only expected to be there a couple of days week, and when they fall through the cracks there also find it very hard to get work for all the reasons laid out already.
For the academic kids - yes they might face some of the same problems at 21, 22 when they finish university, but I think it's tough for the ones who are not seen as A level standard but also might not yet be ready or capable of something entirely vocational like studying plumbing. Education wise there is not much for them, employment wise now too.
We maybe haven't done well sending so many to university, at huge costs to themselves, but the alternative is not great either.

There are some 16 year old who nay fall into this statistic as they are not in education or training.

Surely the Major government also has some level of culpability @ViciousCurrentBun? You know the 1992 Further and Higher Education Act which saw a near doubling in the number of universities. Can’t really pin that one on Tony Blair given it was the 1997 election when he took power.

@Needspaceforlego I was involved with University admissions, by the time I retired I just felt like I was lying to candidates on the stall. Many of them would make it and have a professional career but not all of them, it was not a vocational subject. You can’t go from around 15% to I think it’s about 35% of degree educated people over a 20 year period and expect a sudden uptick of vacancies at a professional level to meet that huge rise in numbers. Blair did a massive disservice to society. The unintended consequences of social engineering.

A question for the Office for National Statistics. They do publish the methodology, although don’t seem to go into whether the long-standing 16-64 age range is still as wholly valid today. You could rightly question the upper age range as well. It does appear that it is just down to how the Labour Force Survey is structured.

Most young people don’t go to University though.

and those that do would not be counted in that number in the title covers those not in employment or education.

I did like you retirement age optimism though 😀 I fear in 40 years time it may have extended past 70.