Young People and Work

Starting out in your first job is nerve-wracking at the best of times. But it’s even more terrifying when this coincides with a global pandemic. And the figures show that young people have been some of the worst affected by the economic repercussions of COVID-19. 

Young people in the UK are more likely to lose their jobs because of the economic fallout from the pandemic, compared to older workers. More than one in 10 (11%) of those aged 16 to 25 who had been working in January and February 2020 had lost their job by September or October 2020. More than half (58%) of young people also saw a fall in their earnings, compared to 42% across the rest of the working population.

Budgets for recruitment and training are either tight or non-existent, as this is generally the first cost that is looked at. Offices remain shut for the foreseeable future so taking on apprentices or graduates might not be high on businesses to-do lists. But this could be something businesses live to regret.

It is still crucial for a business to consider long-term talent needs even in these challenging times and think about how they will build a pipeline of talent coming through the organisation. They will need that talent for when current employees potentially reconsider their careers during the pandemic and also when the upturn hits.

I understand that it is hard to make the case for talent when there are more immediate business concerns, but businesses need to look at balancing the management of an organisation now versus the upswing. Businesses need to consider what will happen if they cannot find enough people.

Some businesses have continued to be proactive on this front and have adapted their programmes by creating virtual internships, hosting online inductions for new starters and turning previously in-person graduate training schemes into fully digital ones.

The Government put together a £2bn package to support new jobs and work experience last year. As part of this, the Kickstart scheme opened in November 2020, which offers a fully-funded six-month work placement of up to 25 hours per week for young people on universal credit. Businesses will also receive £1,000 for each one they provide. What better way to get young people into the business.

Beyond government-subsidised programmes, we should think creatively about how building relationships with local colleges and universities. Businesses might not be able to support full-time employment opportunities but could potentially provide placements so young people can get experience plus insight and understanding into business, to help them think about their careers and give them an appetite to work. This is also an opportunity to show them that they are important.

Providing opportunities for placements can really help business because you are building local relationships, showing that you are interested in them which in turn gives you a potential supply of talent that you can tap into at a later date when demand does begin to pick up and you are able to offer permanent employment opportunities.

Businesses and training providers have become more agile over the months and have moved to online models. In the ever-changing world, we live in we can all become more agile and use different methods of attracting, training and employing young people.

Now Brexit has happened it is not going to be easy to recruit from overseas so business needs to think about growing and developing talent that we have in the UK.