Can we discuss the lack of ambition in English youth

[SomeoneCalled]

How can we help English young people to feel more ambitious about their future

I think she means white people

You didn't say British though, did you? You said English in the thread title. Hence the reason for my question.🙂

But are the issues absolutely the same in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland?

I do reply to questions....I have a colleague who does not want to go uni, they are a 6th former. They openly said: uni is not for me....

Well sometimes uni isn’t the right thing to do

success in life is partly about playing to your personal strengths

and England is different to Scotland in many ways

Why should I care?

Well, maybe uni isn't for them? Given the eye watering amount of debt that young people have to accrue in order to get a degree, they need to be confident that it's the right route for them. Some young people might do better learning a trade or doing an apprenticeship etc.

Do you perhaps have a rather narrow view of what young people should be aspiring to?

Anyway, in answer to your question, I think you can encourage young people to have ambition by ensuring that they have hope. They have to believe that it's possible for them to lead a successful life.

Personally, I would be very reluctant to teach my dc that "success" is defined in terms of having a well paid job. That's very reductive indeed, and probably likely to demotivate.

Agree with this. Hope is key.

The route doesn’t matter.

My DD is 19, she wants a job alongside her student loan. After applying for probably 70+ jobs the ones that she's had are 1 festival job that paid less than minimum wage and 2 zero hours contracts that give and take away shifts at the drop of a hat.
Shes not lazy, she wants to work more than 4 hrs /week but its a tough jobs market for someone without much experience.

Why is not going to university in anyway problematic?

That's not luck of ambition. More like a sensible choice if your colleague doesn't want to end up with a huge debt hanging round their neck.

Plus I think schools & the education system put too much focus on going to university. It's not the only pathway to a good career and good earnings.

Why would you think that?

And DD is training to be a radiographer. She is bright, loves learning and is ambitious and motivated in the area she wants to work in.

She has zero interest in being a lawyer or working in finance and dislikes London. Does that make her unambitious? Money is not the only motivator for many people. Job satisfaction and other factors motivate people in their career choices.

Given the amount of debt and AI incoming they are probably making a good decision for them.

University can be good for some degrees but trades and other routes are valid.

Why does this mean they are not ambitious?

And why is the question in ethical living?

I think you are right.
It is the opposite round here. At DD's school the pupils were very much encouraged to have ambition. When DD was collecting her A level results from her state school and told the head of 6th form that she was taking a gap year they didn't look very pleased because they couldn't add her to their leavers statistics. Doing well at A level and going to, a preferably RG, university was considered the default at her school.

DD is surrounded by people with aspirations and older adults who have had professional careers.

I don't recognise this lack of ambition that the OP talks about. I would say that there is lack of hope though. As the parent of a student doing a post grad degree (which will lead into a career) I am on a couple of higher education forums and keep reading post after post about highly qualified graduates finding it so hard to get work. The job market for graduates is brutal right now.

My two have always been ambitious. They both worked from the legal age they could, around school and sports and music. Both chose very tough professions and had many knockbacks on the way to getting there. This will continue, especially for the one who's a doctor waiting to see if they have a specialist training place.

One thing that may actually have helped them is that they had periods of not being the cool kids at school or necessarily being standout at sport/music/ whatever. I think the knockbacks can be helpful in showing you that life can be unfair.

When I was 16, 18, 21, I had an education (up to A level - chose not to do uni). I got a job at 18 to fund my social life and clothes. That was my priority and ambition came much much later. The last thought in my mind would’ve been future career, being competitive, 5 year plans, pensions and such like. I just wanted to enjoy myself. Not saying ambition is bad at any age but I find it quite depressing that young people at these ages must now be networking / on LinkedIn etc just to get a shoo-in, plus sending and chasing hundreds of applications for zero replies must be soul destroying. That’s the real issue, not lack of ambition. The jobs market is bad for grads and non-grads. Just do an apprenticeship they say, crying out for trades they say, yet there appear to be minimal opportunities for either. We have grads in debt up the ying yang working in coffee shops or doing admin roles (great experience as any work is) but that is taking up jobs for the school leavers (like me) that just want a job while they decide where life will take them. Add to that, pensioners also working into later life in part and full time work and there are barely any Saturday jobs left for 16/17 year olds to get experience. Quite frankly, it’s a miracle they have any ambition at all.

All this.

I've got teens. I am so worried for them.

They have dreams and aspirations, they work hard, they volunteer, they study, they babysit and have part time jobs. They have grown up surrounded by adults working hard and also volunteering and pitching in to help neighbours and the pta etc. They want to be part of a productive, rewarding society.

They are facing huge stress, competition and disappointment applying for basically anything. They will accrue huge debt. They will barely be able to afford anything to advance independence like driving lessons or rent.

I would want to give up and go back to bed if I was them.

Agree with all of this!
They have no chance for fun and no opportunities to explore the world leisurely before they decide what direction they want to take

As a country we have a society based on a mix of political principles. It’s capitalism mixed with soft social policy and strange bedfellows they make.

There is career choice, financial literacy and choice of partner, some right or wrong timing as well which people like to call good or bad luck.

There is also being good in situations where you can gain advantage. There is also being able to get people to do what you want without them realising it. Does it make someone nice? not especially. Would they care? not at all. It’s all a bit Machiavellian.

@Hotwheelsandgarlicbread Rural areas have little opportunity, I couldn’t wait to leave where I grew up. Same streets, same faces when I go home for a visit. My siblings remain poor, when I was younger I used to feel sorry for them. Now I’m older I just think well it was their choice.

No, a very practical question based on real life situation