Research from Qualtrics shows that despite having higher levels of education than previous generations, less than one-third (32 per cent) of young people in the UK feel very or extremely prepared by their education for the job market. While 81 per cent of young people said they feel prepared to perform well in a job, only 67 per cent feel prepared to look for a job and only 64 per cent feel prepared to compete against other candidates.
Qualtrics surveyed around 5,000 young people between the ages of 19 and 24, living across six different Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries: Australia, Canada, Japan, France, the United Kingdom and the United States, in late 2022. Around 1000 of these respondents were based in the UK.
The research was conducted in support of the OECD Forum Engagement Group on the Future of Work. Facing challenging economic conditions, just over one-third (35 per cent) of working respondents in the UK report being underemployed, meaning they are working part-time when they prefer to work full-time or are in a temporary position when they prefer a permanent position.
As the job market fluctuates and the skills in demand for today’s workforce continue to change, education institutions play an important role in providing knowledge and training to help students search for a job, prepare to compete against other candidates and succeed in a position.
Participation in work-based training, such as apprenticeships, was one of the top drivers of perceived job preparedness in the UK. But only 16 per cent of respondents report being offered apprenticeships by their educational institutions, with hands-on learning (33 per cent), technical skills education (31 per cent) and providing information about jobs (30 per cent) being more commonly offered. Globally, young people whose education programs offered an apprenticeship were almost 20 percentage points (53 per cent vs 34 per cent) more likely to feel very or extremely prepared for the workforce than those who did not.
Whereas most respondents in the UK (71 per cent) said schools are responsible for giving advice on how and where to look for a job, 70 per cent said providing resources for education and training opportunities was the government’s responsibility.
“Taking the time to listen to students’ experiences entering the workforce and understanding the specific challenges they face can help government and education institutions create the right interventions that will help ensure this generation of young people does not get left behind,” said Qualtrics head of industry advisory Dr. Sydney Heimbrock. “If we understand the real drivers of job preparedness, we can put resources toward education, apprenticeship and training programs that have the most impact.”
“Education should help young people accomplish their personal and professional goals,” said OECD director for education and skills Andreas Schleicher. “If that’s not happening, we need to take a careful look at the transition from school to work to ensure students are prepared to excel and meet life’s challenges, not just in the classroom, but in the world of employment as well.”