Who would want to be young today?

To coincide with yesterday’s A Level results there were two reports published that should concern everyone with an interest in young people and their future.

The first is from the Institute for Public Policy Research & the Private Equity Foundation which found that in the current climate the ‘prospect of becoming NEET rises by 40 per cent for those with A-levels’.

According the the findings ‘Research by the ippr and the Private Equity Foundation (PEF) shows that young people due to find out A-level results on Thursday 18 August could have a difficult year ahead of them despite their achievements. Their risk of becoming so-called “NEET” (Not in Education, Employment or Training) has increased by over 40 per cent since the onset of the recession.

Just over 9 per cent of those with Level 3 qualifications (which includes A-levels) were classified as NEET in the first quarter of 2010, up from 6.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2008.

And recent graduates, who might have hoped that a degree would cushion them from unemployment, are likely to get an even bigger shock. Graduates have seen the fastest increase in the numbers becoming NEET, with their risk growing by 50 per cent over the last two years.'

However the ippr’s new analysis of the Labour Force Survey also tells another story: young people with no qualifications remain far more vulnerable than their more highly qualified counterparts. A shocking 36.1 per cent of young people who’ve left school empty-handed are NEET. This is far higher than those with degrees (11.4%) and those with Level 3 qualifications (9.1%). The percentage of young people with no qualifications who are NEET has hardly changed since the recession started, suggesting a long-term problem whose causes are not connected to the recent economic upheaval.

The second report was from Demos and the Foyer Federation is calling for a ‘non-graduate talent pool’ which would benefit business, the economy and at-risk young people including Neets (not in employment, education or training).
Think tank Demos is calling for a reward scheme for employers to help get disadvantaged young people into work placements normally dominated by the middle classes.

Access all areas says a ‘pay-back’ scheme should be offered to businesses that offer quality internships to Neets, young offenders and care leavers, if the intern secures stable employment within a year of completing their placement.

Demos suggests rewarding employers with between £1,000 and £5,000 for every successful intern who moves from welfare into work would help mitigate the £120,000 each Neet costs the state annually.

The report, published by the Foyer Federation, also recommends reviewing Job Seeker’s Allowance to ensure the system does not disincentivise young people, and introducing a nationwide internship network allowing companies to share experiences of working with disadvantaged young people.

Demos director and report co-author Julia Margo said: ‘Internships are about who you know and what you know – you need contacts and qualifications. But they should be seen primarily as a way to learn.

‘Getting at-risk young people into internships will go a long way to giving them the opportunities and aspirations open to middle class graduates – we should think of them as a “non-graduate talent pool”.’

Foyer Federation chief executive Jane Slowey added: ‘Targeted investment in talent-building approaches can reap significant returns and benefits by helping young people and their services and communities, to unlock unused potential.’Any source