IN BOTH GROUPS, ONE IN FOUR IS LOOKING FOR WORK
A 21-year-old graduate now has the same change of being out of work as a 16-year-old school leaver with one GCSE, according to new stats released today. While the figures are unlikely to cheer job-seeking graduates, we hope it will shock politicians into acknowledging your plight and making changes to help you to find work.
Research from the Office of National Statistics found that among both groups of young people, around one in four is likely to be looking for work. For 16-year-olds who left school with as little as one GSCE at grade C, 25.9% are unemployed. Among 21-year-old university graduates, 24.8% are looking for work.
These figures raise some big questions. Is it right that the government is still encouraging so many young people to go to university? Or should they just be doing more to help to create jobs for you? And, in the meantime, should universities be allowed to continue to sell these expensive courses, when so many of their students will find that their qualification won’t lead to paid work in their chosen field – or indeed, any other field?
Graduate Fog has been shocked to see few signs that the government has a proper plan for tackling this problem — and many signs that they are shockingly out of touch with the reality of life for many young voters. Earlier this week, the Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith told the Daily Mail:
“…we are caught in a battle between those who think young people should work only if they are able to secure their dream job, and those like myself who passionately believe that work in all shapes and forms can be valuable, for it gives people a sense of purpose and opens up further opportunities.”
Does that bear any resemblance to the challenges you face with your job hunt? Are you turning your nose up at anything other than your ‘dream job’? Most graduates tell us they are desperate for any paid work they can find. The problem is that so many graduate ‘jobs’ are in fact unpaid internships – because the government has failed to enforce the national minimum wage for young people. Whether this is because they don’t think you’re worth paying or they don’t think it’s important remains unclear.
Is it time for some proper research into this issue? Do we need to debate about what’s really going on – and how we should move forward? Yes, it’s uncomfortable to admit there is a big problem here – but once we do so, at least we can start giving young people proper advice that’s based on fact, not fantasy.
*SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT STOP ADVISING YOUNG PEOPLE TO GO TO UNI?
Do our politicians need to admit that the expansion of higher education was a mistake? Or should they just work harder to help create more jobs for graduates?
“Graduate Fog has been shocked to see few signs that the government has a proper plan for tackling this problem ”
That’s Governments for you. Another one will be along soon, with equally as little idea.
Oh dear, I was just reading something in the Evening Standard last night about how companies are looking for school-leavers rather than graduates because “something happens during the time at university” that apparently makes us graduates arrogant and entitled. I’m seriously sick of this whole idea that just because we don’t want to settle for any dead-end job (or, worse yet, workfare), we must be horrible entitled people that just want to laze around all day. It’s really frustrating our politicians seem to be launching inquiries left and right but the situation of graduates who end up paying (or getting into debt) thousands of pounds, get completely useless guidance from their universities on career options and then end up getting rejected from entry-level jobs as “overqualified” or “underexperienced”, is apparently absolutely fine and normal.
@Kayla It’s a sad fact that politicians as well as the general public seem to have got “wanting a career” mixed up with “entitlement”…
Agreed @Sarah. There’s nothing wrong in wanting to make the best use of your skills and talent. It’s strange. I think annoyingly as well, a lot of companies just think graduates will be bored in the job and will not be loyal and stay etc. We just can’t win!
I don’t think a lot of graduates help themselves or each other. Honestly, so many of my friends didn’t have a job at University – they just cruised through with an “everything’ll be alright” attitude.
I was never unemployed during University and I found it hard to find my graduate job. My friends, who achieved far higher marks than me, are struggling to find ANY work, let alone a career.
But as graduates, a lot of us don’t help each other. Unpaid internships are a tragedy of the commons – ultimately, the few that take them up make the rest of us suffer. The rest of us either have to take them up, or remain unemployable. If nobody accepted the terms of unpaid internships, they wouldn’t be available. The result? More paid entry level graduate positions; I am firm in this belief.
I’m very lucky in that I always worked almost full-time (Uni was only 1.5 days a week on a supposedly full-time course) during my time as a student. I did study a so-called ‘Mickey Mouse’ subject, but along side, I worked, and volunteered on my annual leave and during uni holidays. I guess all this working caused my uni work to suffer as I left with a 3rd. However, on graduating, I was offered 2 jobs, and a promotion at the place I’d already been working at. I wasn’t surprised, as though I had a 3rd class degree, It was backed up by continuous employment = work experience, up-to-date skills, excellent references etc. I’m in no student debt as I cleared most of it whilst working/studying, and cleared the rest within a year. I decided to stay on at my workplace and am now in junior management earning £32k, and expecting a promotion/rise within the next couple of years, 2 years after graduating with the 3rd that people love to slam. My course mates are unable to find any work, let alone ‘decent’ work, even though that have 1sts and 2.1s. Maybe they were brighter than me, but they spent their time partying etc whilst I was studying a little, or working. They’re very bitter towards me now, and say how is it fair when I’ve got a 3rd. All I can say to people is that although uni is important, don’t spend all your time having fun and expect jobs to fall at your feet when you leave. It doesn’t work like that. Also, people with thirds need to be given a chance…there is often a reason for getting the grade other than partying, such as illness, working, and other personal circumstances.
Leah, I respect your view and well done for being so successful!
I absolutely agree that anyone who expects to spend three years downing pints in the Student Union and land a great job immediately after is naive to say the least, especially in today’s economy. On the other hand, I find it very frustrating that pretty much any news article / careers office brochure / what have you about finding employment after uni makes it clear that most employers would not consider an applicant without previous work experience. While I do have some eclectic work experience (I’l be graduating in 2013), most of my recent experience and transferrable skills come from running an academic society and participating in activities like the Model UN. I think it’s sad that a lot of people who are barely in their early 20s have similar skills/”experience” but get rejected from jobs because that doesn’t count as real experience. I think degrees and extra-curriculars should count for something, To change your conclusion around a bit, there is often a reason for why a 21-year-old graduate hasn’t accumulated work experience other than laziness.
Ultimately, I see this as an attempt on the part of companies (and note that the business leaders with the huge graduate intake don’t actually have any experience requirements) to invest in their staff and train entry- and junior-level people. I know everyone is trying to be frugal nowadays, but I think this is a really misguided way to cut corners.
“To change your conclusion around a bit, there is often a reason for why a 21-year-old graduate hasn’t accumulated work experience other than laziness.”
Amen to that. I did accumulate work experience, because I had no choice while studying – if I hadn’t had a part time job, I would have had to quit uni. The amount I earn at the moment is still pitiful, because there’s so much competition for every job. I’m tired of being told it’s my fault!