Report

Britain’s Lost Talent? It is no secret that young people have borne the brunt ofthis recession. One in five are now struggling to find a job - the highest figure on record.

It is all too easy to dismiss these young people as “Britain’s lost generation”. Each one of them has skills and talents that could make a real difference to this country.

Withthisreport,wehavesoughttolookbehindtheheadlinesanddiscoverexactlywhatcouldbe“lost”ifBritainfailstohelptheseyoungpeopleintowork.Thefindingssuggestthatthecountrycouldmissoutonthousandsofvitalworkers-nurses,teachers,plumbers–ifyoungpeopleareunabletofulfil

theiraspirations.

This research reveals that young people are not only struggling to fulfil their ambitions, they are also missing out on essentials that most people take for granted, such as food and heating.

Britain cannot afford to stifle these young

talents now. It is more important than ever to give all young people the chance to fulfil their potential, as we emerge from the longest recession on record.

The Prince’s Trust’s work with vulnerable young people is more relevant than ever. Those with fewest qualifications need our support the most, as they struggle to compete with unemployed graduates flooding the jobs market.

Only by investing in these young people

can we ensure this undiscovered generation isn’t lost forever.

GinnyLunn Director of policy and development ThePrince’sTrust

Methodology Thereportfocusesonthe

undiscoveredtalentsofyoungpeoplewhoarenotinemployment,educationortraining(NEETs),aswellasthebarrierstheyfaceintryingtofindwork.

A sample of 1,046 16-to-24-year-old NEETs took part in the online poll conducted by YouGov on behalf of The Prince’s Trust and Citi Foundation in January 2010.

The data has been weighted by age, region and length of unemployment, to be representative of all UK 16-to-24-year-old NEETs.

Respondents were asked about their career ambitions, their experiences of unemployment and how it has affected them in their daily lives.

The responses have been used to estimate the number of workers (e.g. nurses, teachers and plumbers) Britain could gain if young people were able to achieve their potential.

The survey gives a percentage of NEETs who favour each potential career option. These percentages have been applied to the total population of unemployed 16-to-24-year-olds, giving a figure for how many aspire to each job.

This has been calculated using youth unemployment figures from the Office for National Statistics’ Labour Market Survey (January 2009), as national NEETs statistics are not published.

Key workers of the future Thestudysuggeststhatthousandsoffuturenurses,teachersandplumberscouldbe

lostifBritainfailstohelptheseunemployedyoungpeopleintowork.

IfNEETsaregiventhesupportandtrainingtofulfiltheirambitionstheUKcouldgainupto62,000teachers,26,000policeofficersand19,500doctorsornurses:

Whatwouldbethebestjobforyou?Rounded figure to the nearest 500

1,500Plumbers

8,500Constructionworkers

6,000Firefighters

6,500Chefs

16,000Mechanics

19,500Doctor/Nurses

26,000Police officers

62,000Teachers

12%22%

“I’ll never amount to anything”

12%(Unemployeduptosixmonths)

22%(Unemployedformorethansixmonths)

10%29%

“I don’t have any skills and talents”

10%(Unemployeduptosixmonths)

29%(Unemployedformorethansixmonths)

“I worry that I’ll never have enough money to provide for myself or my children”

Stronglyagree/agree:41% 41%“I worry that I’ll get into so much debt that I’ll lose everything”

Stronglyagree/agree:27% 27%“I worry I’ll never be able to afford to buy my own home”

Stronglyagree/agree:57% 57%

Fears for the future Thousandsof

unemployedyoungpeoplearealsoconcernedabouttheirfutureprospects,accordingtotheresearch.

Morethan380,000NEETs(or41percent)feartheywillneverhaveenoughmoneytoprovideforthemselvesortheirchildren.

More than a quarter (27 per cent) fear they will get into so much debt that they’ll lose everything.

Fifty-seven per cent worry they’ll never be able to afford their

own home

Figure2.1:

Long-termunemployedyoungpeoplearesignificantlylessoptimisticthanthosewhohavebeenunemployedforlessthansixmonths.

Those out of work for more than 12 months are nearly twice as likely to fear that they “will never amount to anything”, and three times as likely to believe that they don’t have any skills and talents.

Youngpeoplewerealsoaskedtorespondtoaseriesofquestionsabouttheirexperiencesofunemployment.Asignificantnumberarecuttingbackonbasicnecessities,suchasfood,heatingandclothesforjobinterviews.

Figure2.2:

Making ends meet?

Two-fifthsdon’thaveenoughmoneytobuysmartclothesforjobinterviews.

I don’t have enough money to buy smart clothes to wear for job interviews

Stronglyagree/agree:40%

Figure3.2:

Morethan300,000NEETs(or31percent)havebeenforcedtocutbackonfoodandheatingbecausetheycan’tfindajob,accordingtothesurvey.

“I have cut back on food and heatingbecause I can’t find a job “

Stronglyagree/agree:31%

Figure3.1:

31%

40%

Adrian’s story

I grew up on an estate nicknamed Beirut and my parents let me do what I liked. I got put onto a care order at 11 and started doing solvents and drinking. When I was 17 I had a daughter, but felt I was failing as a father. I lashed out at everybody and started taking drugs. Before I knew it I was injecting heroin, I robbed my parents of everything, and became homeless. In my heart I just wanted to die, I had no friends and ended up in prison.

Mymentorencouragedmetobelieveinmyself The Prince’s Trust helped me set up as a plasterer

through their Business Programme and I had a great mentor. He’d come out of his way to meet me at my house and taught me about cash flows, forecasting, marketing, and responsibility. From where I’ve come from to running by own business – it’s just amazing!

Theentrepreneur

I always felt separatefrom everyone else.

Zoe’s story Theclinicalsupportworker

Casestudy

I argued with teachers a lot at school – and I didn’t go much. I was expelled at 15, just hung round the streets, but they let me do my GCSEs. I did ok. Then I did a year’s course in travel and tourism, which I passed. At 17 my mum kicked me out as we were arguing all the time. I moved into a local hostel. Bad idea. There were no wardens or anything, so I did what I wanted.

I got kicked out of schoolat aged 15.

NowIfeellikemylife’sgotmeaning I joined The Prince’s Trust Get Into Hospital

Services course. During my hospital placement, I applied for a job. I got help doing my personal statement and preparing for the interview. My self esteem improved, and guess what, I got the job! Now I’m a clinical support worker. The Trust told me they were really proud of me.

Ari’s story Theconstructionworker

I enjoyed school, but had problems understanding because of my dyslexia. The teachers helped a lot. I did my GCSEs and got Grade C in art, that was it. I felt down about my grades, but proud I’d tried. I looked around for apprenticeships, but no one was willing to give me a chance to prove myself.

No one was willingto take me on.

Life’ssomuchbetterthanitusedtobe The Prince’s Trust contacted me about their Get

Into Construction course. I wanted to get on it so much, so when I got a place I jumped around. It was also great to have a mentor to talk to whenever I got stuck. After a 12-week placement with the construction contractor, Barhale, I was taken on. I’m now working on the Olympic site. All thanks to The Trust.

An undiscovered generationThe Prince’s Trust is launching a new campaign to support thousands of young people who are struggling to find a job.

Undiscovered calls for Government, businesses and individuals to help the charity raise £1m a week to support unemployed and disadvantaged young people.

More than three in four young people on Prince’s Trust schemes move into work, training or education.

DSN1003 © The Prince’s Trust 2010 - all rights reserved. The Prince’s Trust is a registered charity, number 1079675, incorporated by Royal Charter. The Prince’s Trust Trading Ltd, a company registered in England no. 3161821.

ThePrince’sTrustHead Office18 Park Square EastLondon NW1 4LH

Telephone020 7543 1234Fax020 7543 1200Emailinfo@princes-trust.org.uk

FormoreinformationaboutThePrince’sTrustvisit:princes-trust.org.uk/undiscovered

CitiandtheCitiFoundationhavebeensupportingThePrince’sTrustsince1986.Theirfundsalonehavehelped271youngpeoplestart-upinbusinesswithsupportfromThePrince’sTrust.