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Young Britons describe being shut out of entry-level jobs despite degrees and training

11h

Summary

  • Four young Britons aged 20 to 25 describe being unable to find entry-level work despite degrees, diplomas or volunteering.
  • Aamir, 25, has applied for more than 1,000 jobs since graduating and lives on universal credit in east London after a short publishing contract ended.
  • Alice, 24, an Oxford and Cambridge graduate, has sent 50 tailored applications and been rejected even by the charity shop she volunteers for.
  • Liam, 20, an autistic horticulture trainee from Exeter, has been told by employers he lacks experience despite level 3 qualifications.
  • A 21-year-old computer science first says AI has devastated entry-level tech roles.
  • The four describe the job hunt's toll on their mental health, including sleeplessness and crying.

Reactions

  • Aamir says Britain's social contract is broken, that you can do everything right and still lose, and says companies should be compelled to reply to applicants.
  • Alice says it feels like a generation of talent is being wasted.
  • Liam says employers should train people without experience as they once did and need to provide reasonable adjustments.
  • A new series is forecast to follow the lives of eight young people in their search for jobs.

Timeline newest first

  1. A 21-year-old computer science graduate says AI has devastated entry-level tech roles as he searches for work.
  2. Liam, 20, of Exeter, says one employer told him he lacked experience after a trial shift, two years after he finished land and wildlife management diplomas.
  3. Alice, 24, an Oxford and Cambridge graduate in Bristol, has submitted 50 tailored applications, reached five interviews, and was rejected for paid roles at the charity shop where she volunteers.
  4. Aamir, 25, of east London, estimates he has applied for more than 1,000 jobs since graduating and is claiming universal credit two years after a temporary digital publishing contract ended.
  5. Four young jobseekers, aged 20 to 25, describe feeling shut out of careers, with profiles opening a series on their search for work.

Sources newest first

  • ‘The social contract is broken’: young people on feeling shut out of careerstheguardian.com· 11h

    The Guardian opens a new series that will follow eight young people's search for jobs with profiles of four graduates and school-leavers who feel shut out of work: Aamir, 25, on universal credit after a short publishing contract; Alice, 24, an Oxford and Cambridge graduate who has sent 50 tailored applications and been rejected even by a charity shop that headhunted her; Liam, 20, an autistic horticulture trainee told he lacks experience while he volunteers at community gardens; and Peter, 21, a computer science first who says AI has devastated entry-level tech roles. Aamir calls Britain's social contract broken, Liam urges employers to train people without experience and make reasonable adjustments, and the young people describe the toll on their mental health.

Background newest first

  • Young people should have legal guarantee of job or training, Milburn tells BBCbbc.com· 15h

    In an interview to air on Sunday, former Labour minister Alan Milburn tells the BBC young people should have a legal guarantee of a job, training or employment support — an "opportunity guarantee" — warning that those who refuse the help could lose benefits, and calling for spending to shift from youth benefits into employment support. His proposals, to be unveiled on Tuesday, are described by Prime Minister Andy Burnham as a "watershed moment", though he declines to commit to accepting them in full, while other parties from the Conservatives to the Greens offer varied responses.

  • AI is coming for consulting’s billable hours — and its graduate pipelinecnbc.com· 2d

    A CNBC article says AI is challenging the consulting industry's time-based fees and its reliance on junior staff doing research and presentations, as clients push for outcome-based pricing. KPMG, EY, and challenger firms describe how they are redesigning roles and training, while executives warn junior consultants must take on responsibility earlier.

  • What if we’re thinking about productivity all wrong?substack.com· 3y

    In his Substack newsletter, Jonn Elledge takes apart Conservative MP Nick Fletcher's October 2023 tweets blaming mass university education for worthless degrees and a falling graduate wage premium, citing FT data and Will Cooling's case that austerity held down public-sector wages. Wandering Bedford, Elledge argues flatlining wages may cause Britain's productivity trap, not result from it, and urges a government pay rise.