What barriers affect young people gaining employment?

Magnolia

I have read through this thread and done a lot of thanks as most people have come up with most of the barriers to work.

Living in rural North Yorkshire transport is a great barrier to work in our area. Low expectations and unrealistic expectations also figure highly.

My theory is that the education system is letting our kids down. They are not taught subjects any more - they are taught to pass exams! School league tables have become more important than education. Strange and inappropriate tests have been introduced to compensate for the lack of 'passes' at GCSE. Many students are now sitting the 'ALAN' exams (Adult Literacy and Numeracy) if they are not likely to achieve a C at GCSE. The clue is in the title folks! ADULT! These are aimed at over 19's to show a level of learning and not to bump up the schools score!

Lets get back to the basics and hopefully we will turn out kids more ready and able to move on into the workforce with the basic skills they need.

Indie_Kid

Magnolia wrote: »

My theory is that the education system is letting our kids down. They are not taught subjects any more - they are taught to pass exams! School league tables have become more important than education. Strange and inappropriate tests have been introduced to compensate for the lack of 'passes' at GCSE. Many students are now sitting the 'ALAN' exams (Adult Literacy and Numeracy) if they are not likely to achieve a C at GCSE. The clue is in the title folks! ADULT! These are aimed at over 19's to show a level of learning and not to bump up the schools score!

I don't ever remember being taught how to write cover letters and the like. The access course I did at college, taught me how to prepare for interview - I would've preferred that at 15/16; not 20!

ariarnia

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

This is a good indication of a couple of barriers to employment; young people who think they know it all and who don't accept advice from people whose job it is to help them.

Badger_Lady wrote: »

Slightly harshly put, Older, but I agree with the sentiment - GCSEs and A Levels are academic qualifications. Training could be, for example, confidence and presentation..? Something that would enable you to run a debate in an interview room!

Yes, but when I was unemployed due to redundancy I was told that I would have to go on training. All the training they had was basic IT skills (CLAIT).

I have a GCSE (A) and A-level (B) in ITC, I also completed a degree and produced a dissertation using most of the Microsoft office package (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Publisher) then worked for 2 years as an Admin/data entry clerk. I also already had a ECDL.

I had to go on this training (for 3 days a week for 6 weeks, paying to get there and not getting it refunded) anyway, rather than the volunteering I was doing for a local museum (where I got my travel costs refunded and was gaining cv able experience updating their artefact records using MODES and sorting their PO forms using SAGE) because they had to tick the box that I was 'training and gaining work skills' and didn't have anything else that would actually be useful.

They even admitted in the office that is was a waste of time but they had to do it as everyone had to do it.

I wouldn’t have objected, but in some counties the training on offer is anything from an SIA licence to driving lessons and they tailor it to your experience and skills.

I don't know everything, I do know that the particualar course was a waste of time, money (mine and the governments) and braincells.

ariarnia

Person_one wrote: »

Surely a dearth in the amount of actual jobs available due to the recession is a factor, meaning that competition is higher for each one.

I'm a 25 year old graduate with 9 years of varied work and volunteering experience and I'm about to start a job that technically only requires a school leaver (Basic GCSE's, no experience necessary). At interview I was told that nearly 200 people had applied, lots of them graduates or otherwise well qualified, lots of them also had years of experience in the field but had lost their better jobs.

So because there are hardly any jobs further up the ladder or in specialised fields, older people are essentially taking the school leavers jobs from them before they have a chance to get a foot in the door!

Yes, after I was made redundant I applied for a shop assistant job (saturdays and 1 evening in the week) as i didn't want to just sit on my bum.

At the interview I was told that over 60 people had applied for the job and only about a half dozen of them were the 15/16 yr olds that the interviewer had been expecting.

Badger_Lady

ariarnia wrote: »

Yes, but when I was unemployed due to redundancy I was told that I would have to go on training. All the training they had was basic IT skills (CLAIT).

I have a GCSE (A) and A-level (B) in ITC, I also completed a degree and produced a dissertation using most of the Microsoft office package (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Publisher) then worked for 2 years as an Admin/data entry clerk. I also already had a ECDL.

I had to go on this training (for 3 days a week for 6 weeks, paying to get there and not getting it refunded) anyway, rather than the volunteering I was doing for a local museum (where I got my travel costs refunded and was gaining cv able experience updating their artefact records using MODES and sorting their PO forms using SAGE) because they had to tick the box that I was 'training and gaining work skills' and didn't have anything else that would actually be useful.

That's absolutely awful! :eek:

ariarnia

dugdale wrote: »

* Unable to sell themselves at an interview,
* Reliant on public transport,
* No self confidence, believe that they will never find work so do not actively job seek,

These are the main issues I've had and my OH has had.

I was unemployed Sept 2009- March 2010 and i applied for loads of jobs and employers just wouldn't believe me when I said I would be able to do the job as I don't drive.

My current job was on the condition that I kept the promises that I made at interview (basically that I'd be able to get there) and i could tell that the interviewer didn't believe me but it was a FJF post and therefore a limited number of applicants and I’d actually already done the job for 2+ years before becoming redundant.

My colleagues still don't believe that I can live without a car (can't afford lessons, insurance, maintenance, petrol) and can't believe that I moved 70 miles on 2 weeks notice to take up this job. I’m young, I don’t have a mortgage, why shouldn’t I be able/willing to move for a job rather than sitting on my tush?

My partner is having similar problems; he has a degree, a learning disability, and an overbearing mother. He doesn’t believe he can get a job as he doesn’t believe he’s good enough or that anyone would want to hire him.
He doesn’t have to confidence to learn how to drive as he has dyspraxia and finds the co-ordination of hands and feet/pedals very hard then gets frustrated and embarrassed that someone’s watching. I’ve had him agree to try an automatic until he’s used to the idea then move onto a manual, but since my redundancy I’ve had the issue of cost again and he keeps changing his mind as his mum keeps telling him that it’s a waste of time to learn in an automatic.
So that’s an issue, ‘Adults’ still telling us what to do and how to do it without knowing the specifics or having any interest in trying/finding out the actual situation – cause to be honest my MIL can’t stop wondering aloud as to why we aren’t both in professional jobs paying £20,000 a year by now as she didn’t have any trouble when she graduated and got her PGCE 30 years ago and it’s not hard to get a job... therefore self confidence and the general media telling us that we’re work shy and lazy (despite the fact that I’ve worked at least weekends since I was 12). Depression and a feeling that the whole thing is pointless, we’re trapped – if my OH doesn’t get experience now (he’s volunteering atm) then when the job market picks up in a couple of years he’s going to be mid to late 20’s and still have no experience and worse confidence.

ariarnia

Badger_Lady wrote: »

That's absolutely awful! :eek:

It's the one size fits all mentality. monmouthsire is a wealthy county so the support for the unemployed is almost non-existant (if you live there then your family should have plenty of money almost) and everything needed to live costs a fortune.

Now I'm in rhondda (objective 1 area) and my weekly shopping is half what it was and if I end up unemployed again the list of courses on offer at the job centre are more than 2 pages long.

Fen1

I have talked to some parents who do not comprehend the value of volunteering. Little Johnny isn't interested in getting a job that isn't paid, so what's the point in forcing him to do voluntary work?

My OH has been on interview panels in both academic and professional circuits, and takes note of those who have 'pushed' themselves by spending their own time and money to get extra qualifications or have dedicated time to charity work. Self-improvement and social conscience do matter.

Poor spelling on a CV means it is usually binned. It doesn't take much to use a dictionary.

Drea

It really is all experience, I'm 23 now and have got lucky so far falling into jobs. But when I was just out of school trying to find work all I heard was about lack of experience, it was so frustrating!

Now the barrier for me is money, I've spent the last couple years in a receptionist job which I enjoyed but I'm now moving to Cardiff (tomorrow) and working for less money because there is more room for promotion. For a single young person paying rent/council tax/all bills and getting no help whatsoever, it just isn't easy. I've lived with flatmates and I just can't seem to get along with them, I'm an only child and it's always been just me and my mum so I guess I'm not used to being around people so much. Now I'm off to live on my own and I know I'm going to struggle. A lot of people would take the "option" of not working and having rent/council tax paid for them.

heretolearn_2

1) Lack of experience. With so many people applying for jobs now, roles which may have been a 'first jobber' role 10 years ago are being applied for by people with a lot to offer.
2) Location - usually dependent upon public transport, which may not be good where they live
3) Employer's prejudice and assumptions (as outlined a lot in previous posts) about the value of young people as employees
4) Unrealistic expectations and not being willing to start at the bottom
5) Poor application/interview techniques.
6) Generally high unemployment meaning they find it hard to compete against better applicants - point 1 again I suppose.