Connected Futures Systems ‘Iceberg’

Lack of employment opportunities for younger people

• There is a lack of entry level opportunities for young people
• Young people lack opportunities for work experience
• There is a lack of apprenticeship opportunities
  • For example, in Hull there are some apprenticeship opportunities, but not in sectors where young people say they want to work
• There is a limited amount of part-time work for young people e.g., summer jobs, Saturday jobs
• There are limited employment opportunities for young people with certain qualifications e.g., T-Levels
• There are few local employment opportunities that appeal to young people
  • For example, in Hastings stakeholders felt there is a lack of ‘big businesses’ and creative industries that could offer opportunities to young people

Lack of appropriate provision for young people with different learning needs

• There are cases of data and grades being manipulated by schools
  • For example, in Brent, the data from schools on exclusion rates does not match young people’s anecdotal experiences of exclusions
  • For example, in the East Midlands, young people and parents/ carers shared experiences of grades being inflated to reflect better on the school, but not matching the young person’s abilities
• Mainstream education settings are not able to support diverse and additional learning needs e.g., learning disabilities, autism
• There has been an increase in young people being home-schooled

Lack of support for young people in the workplace

• There is a lack of workplace support for young people experiencing mental health issues
• There are high expectations places on young people in the workplace
• Young people can be taken advantage of by employers
• There is a lack of support for young people to sustain work
  • For example, in the East Midlands young people who have been able to find work through apprenticeships and internships are not guaranteed work after these end, and many aren’t able sustain work
• Roles and opportunities are rarely adapted to suit young people’s needs and abilities

Young people experience discrimination from employers

• There is a perception amongst young people that employers will not hire them, often because young people can’t find work without experience, but need to find work to gain experience
• Certain groups of young people experience discrimination from employers e.g., young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, and/ or Autism Disorders
  • For example, in the East Midlands, young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, and/ or Autism Disorders find it much harder to find employment, as employers are unwilling to make adaptations to recruitment processes and roles

Existing employment opportunities do not appeal to young people

• Existing opportunities do not match young people’s aspirations
  • For example, in Blackpool the main employers are the NHS and the Local Authority, which stakeholders felt often don’t appeal to young people
• Many existing entry level roles do not appeal to young people
• Many entry level roles offer low pay
  • For example, in Hull, wages for young people are seen to be so low it is safer to stay on benefits

It can be hard to understand and access the appropriate support

• Young people and their families can find it challenging to navigate support systems
• Support systems can feel demoralising for those trying to access support
• Young people and their families are not aware of the support and entitlements that are available for them
  • For example, in the East Midlands, parents/ carers and young people often struggle to know what benefits they are entitled to and how this changes as they move through education and employment
• Many young people experience a slow diagnosis of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, and/ or Autism Disorders
• Young people can struggle to access the appropriate support e.g., Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, and/ or Autism Disorders support

There is a lack of career support for young people

• Young people are not prepared for employment e.g., through careers education
• Career support and provision is inconsistent
• There is a lack of career support outside of educational settings

The culture within education does not support young people’s wellbeing

• Academic pressure negatively affects young people’s wellbeing
• There is a lack of wellbeing support in educational settings
• Young people lack agency and choice within education
  • For example, in the East Midlands young people with additional learning needs tend to have their education choices dictated by education professionals and have little agency in choosing what they want to do. For example, a young person might be told they aren’t able to take certain GCSEs because it is assumed they won’t do well in those subjects

COVID-19 negatively impacted young people

• Young people’s mental health was negatively affected by the pandemic
• Young people missed out on career support and work experience during the pandemic
• At home learning impacted young people’s educational progress and attainment
• The pandemic impacted young people’s social and emotional skills/ development

Young people can lack confidence

• The experience of discrimination can impact a young person’s self-belief
• NEET young people can feel marginalised

It can be hard to understand and access the appropriate support

• Young people and their families can find it challenging to navigate support systems
• Support systems can feel demoralising for those trying to access support
• Young people and their families are not aware of the support and entitlements that are available for them
  • For example, in the East Midlands, parents/ carers and young people often struggle to know what benefits they are entitled to and how this changes as they move through education and employment
• Many young people experience a slow diagnosis of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, and/ or Autism Disorders
• Young people can struggle to access the appropriate support e.g., Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, and/ or Autism Disorders support

There is a lack of career support for young people

• Young people are not prepared for employment e.g., through careers education
• Career support and provision is inconsistent
• There is a lack of career support outside of educational settings

Education does not directly prepare young people for careers/ employment

• Employability skills are not built into the school curriculum, therefore young people don’t gain relevant skills for work through education
• There is a lack of decent career education in schools
• Parents/ carers are not engaged by schools in relation to careers
• There is a lack of alternative provision for school leaver 15 and under
• The school environment and culture, e.g., uniform, rules, does not prepare young people for a work setting

Transitions can be challenging

• Young people find the transition between primary and secondary school challenging
• The post-16 transition can be disjointed

Personal networks can impact a young person’s aspirations

• • For example, in Brent, young people often see a limited range of careers around them. Young people from migrant heritage are said they were more likely to be pushed into financially safe or conventional career options due to family experiences of financial instability

Lack of decent and affordable transport

• • For example, in Downham, the cost of travelling outside of the local area outweighs the financial benefit of working on 16-21 minimum wage

The benefit support system can disincentivise working

• Universal credit is a gateway benefit for housing support, which means low-income young people risk losing housing if they start work

There are barriers to accessing further and higher education

• Marginalised young people tend to face more barriers to accessing higher education
• There are barriers to accessing college, such as having the right grades and qualifications

Mainstream education does not cater for different learning needs

• There is a lack of specialist support for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, and/ or Autism Disorders in mainstream school

Lack of acknowledgement of the problem

• Employers are not motivated to change or improve their practices
• Employers may not recognise their own biases when it comes to offering opportunities to young people
  • For example, in Hull it was noted that employers can perpetuate negative stereotypes of young people, such as young people not having the resilience to sustain work

Academic pathways are valued over other routes

• There is an assumption that young people will follow an academic/ higher education pathway, meaning alternatives are often overlooked

Ableism and lack of understanding of different learning needs and disabilities

• Ableism is common within the education system
  • For example, stakeholders in the East Midlands partnership highlighted there are very low expectations of young people with learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorders
• There is often a deficit approach taken towards young people
  • For example, in the East Midlands young people’s educational options, such as GCSE choices, tend to be influenced by what adults think they can’t do
• There is often a belief that providing inclusion support won’t be worthwhile
  • For example, in the East Midlands young people are more likely to find work with employers who are engaged in taking a more inclusive and accessible approach to employment and recruitment. There is the perception that employers are generally ‘hesitant’ to hire you

Certain jobs/ sectors/ opportunities are valued less in society

• There is a perception that certain jobs are less valuable, leading to devalued wages and poor working conditions, and negative perceptions of certain job roles
• There are negative perceptions of the opportunities that exist within a place
• There is a belief that ‘you are what you do’, which places pressure on young people to make a perfect choice about their future

Age-based stigma and discrimination towards young people

• There are stigmas and misconceptions attached to young people, for example, the belief that young people lack resilience or that mental health is a generational issue
• Young people’s autonomy and decisions are not valued, as adults are seen to know best
• Young people’ experiences are often disregarded

Young people may not see the benefits of continuing education

• Young people’s attitudes towards higher education are influenced by changes in the labour market, tuition fees etc

Gendered expectations for young people

• There are often gendered assumptions attached to the types of employment opportunities offered to young people
  • For example, in Hull young people shared experiences of career advice being based on their gender, such as girls being offered apprenticeships in hairdressing

Negative perceptions of people from lower-income communities

• There are often negative perceptions towards young people from low-income communities
• There is stigma attached to certain areas, making employers hesitant to employ young people from these areas
  • For example, in Hastings there are certain areas that have negative connotations that employers won’t hire from

Intersecting barriers can impact a young person’s chances

• Young people can feel safe on universal credit and therefore may not want to find work, as they may lose their benefits once in work
• Young people in unstable situations are less likely to prioritise employment e.g., poor housing, mental health

There are unfilled vacancies alongside high rates of unemployment

• There are high levels of unfilled local vacancies, yet high rates of unemployment
  • For example, in Burnley, the number of vacancies locally matches the number of NEETs, although it is not clear yet if these are appropriate entry level vacancies for young people.
• There are unfilled apprenticeship vacancies in places
  • For example, in Hull there are lots of unfilled apprenticeship vacancies e.g., in the food industry

There is a lack of comprehensive support for young people

• There is a lack of infrastructure to support career choices
• Support is not coordinated or joined-up
• The VCSE sector is underfunded, which impacts support provision
• Support services are often patchy and short-term

Employers have inaccessible and discriminatory practices around recruitment and employment

• Many entry level roles have high requirements, that create barriers for young people. For example, requiring Maths and English GCSE
• Some roles require candidates to be a certain age
• There is a lack of systemic good practice amongst employers
• Many employers having limited EDI practices and policies
• There are gender inequalities in the workplace
• Some work contracts can prevent young people working whilst in education
• Recruitment and application processes are not accessible

Poor quality work is common

• Entry level roles and apprenticeships tend to offer low wages
• Many roles do not offer decent progression opportunities
• There is often a lack of flexibility in the workplace

Young people are often disempowered in decisions about their future

• Young people aren’t listened to and don’t have any power within the system
• Employers often hold a lot of power, compared to young people

Schools are not incentivised to focus on employment

• The curriculum does not prepare young people for employment
• Schools are incentivised to focus on university outcomes
• Vocational and non-academic skills are not included on the curriculum