What is ‘good work’?
Defining good work for young people, by young people
We are developing a comprehensive definition of good work built on a foundation of marginalised young people’s voices, needs and experience to help shape a future where they can thrive
The challenge
Defining good work is complex. And, until now, the needs and experiences of marginalised young people have been overlooked.
The opportunity
To achieve our vision of a society where all young people have fair access to good work, we need to understand what good work really looks like for young people, putting their voices at the heart of the conversation.
What are we doing?
We want to develop a comprehensive, data-driven, measurable definition of good work, built on a foundation of young people’s voices.
Building foundations
In partnership with Workwhile, we’ve worked with marginalised young people aged 18 to 25 to co-create a meaningful definition of good work that:
- can be easily understood by employers, policy makers, and others working in youth employment
- helps us talk about good work in the words of those most affected by unequal access to it
Ownership
This is the first time a definition of good work has been created by young people. It is a vital staging post in our continuing work to drive evidence-based change.
Next steps
Lead by Dr Hannah King, our current research project will build on this youth definition.
The project explores:
- What young people want and need to thrive at work
- Where in the country good jobs for young people can be found
- What government, employers, and support services do to create good jobs for young people
Equipped with robust evidence, we can be confident that when we strive to make good work accessible for young people, we strive for a vision of ‘good work’ that meets their needs.
"Good work means feeling valued, fulfilled and supported. It means being respected and treated fairly in a workplace that is diverse and inclusive, where there is open and honest communication and decent pay. Everyone should have a voice.
"Good work is done to a high standard and gives you a sense of achievement. It happens in a place where you can make change happen.
"Good work protects your health and wellbeing. You’re excited to tell your friends and family about good work, not because they ask but because you’re proud of it."
Good Work workshop attendees, aged 18-25 - July 2024
"This is a powerful definition that enables us to really hear young people’s voices and put them front and centre of the conversation.
"Knowing that young people want to make a difference and do a great job should spur employers and policy makers to continue listening to young people, and to develop policy and practice that supports them to thrive."
Barry Fletcher, CEO - Youth Futures