Report on young people and the changing labour market
The Work Foundation and Private Equity Foundation has published a report looking at how young people get a foothold in the labour market.
The report shows that young people are finding it increasingly difficult to make the first step into work. It argues that for some the transition into work has become more difficult and that support from service providers should be concentrated on this important stage.
The number of young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) has been rising for the last decade. This report examines how the characteristics of NEETs have changed over this period, and how longer-term labour market change has affected the transition for young people from education into employment.
The report, which is published ahead of the Government's latest NEET (not in education, employment or training) figures, argues that long-term changes in the skills required for first jobs have made it harder for many young people to get a foothold in the jobs market. This is likely to have been a significant factor in the growth of NEET young people since 2001.
Lost in Transition? The changing labour market and young people not in education, employment or training argues that the long-term shift from a production to service-driven economy has made soft skills increasingly important for young people seeking their first job. However, the education and training system has not adapted to reflect these changes, while employers often expect employees to be job-ready from day one. This leaves a growing number to 'fall through the gaps', struggling to make the first and most difficult step into sustained employment.
In England, nearly half of NEETs now have no experience of sustained paid employment beyond casual and holiday work. This represents over 450,000 young people who so far have been unable to make the transition from learning into employment.
http://www.theworkfoundation.com/Reports/310/Lost-in-transition-The-chan...
