‘I want to get a job but I don’t know how’ | Global News Avenue

Young people must “earn or study” or face benefit cuts under the government’s plan to get young people back into work and grow the economy.

Official figures show that nearly 1 million young people lost their education, employment or training opportunities between July and September.

Jobcentres and mental health support will receive more funding to help people find employment, government said. However, business leaders say increases in employers’ national insurance contributions and the minimum wage will leave them with less money to create new jobs.

The BBC spoke to young people who are not yet entering the workforce, as well as those who are choosing to leave the workforce.

Hassan, 20, from Birmingham, completed his A Levels in 2022 and has been unemployed since then.

“This year has been a constant struggle. I want to find a job, but how do I get one? How do I write the right resume? How do I apply?

He is receiving help from the King’s Trust to deal with these struggles.

Hassan, who missed out on his GCSE exams due to the coronavirus pandemic, said taking his first formal exam at 18 was “overwhelming”.

“I realized that what I’d been calling ‘stress’ for years was actually anxiety. I’d been carrying it for a long time,” he said.

“There’s a lot of discussion about mental health right now. But a lot of people think it’s over-represented… which makes you feel uncertain when you’re trying to identify these issues that you encounter in your daily life.”

The government’s Keep Britain Working plan states that areas with the highest unemployment rates will receive extra NHS support, including extra mental health specialists.

Hassan’s poor mental health in his final year at school meant he put off applying for university, but with tuition fees rising he is now unsure if it is the right place for him.

“We still believe in this idea that you should get good grades, go to college, get a job, buy a house, start a family, but that’s not the case. That’s not going to happen in my generation.”

Amy Wilkes, 23, from Coventry, who has a degree in criminology, policing and investigation, said she received no response when she applied for the job.

“It’s really frustrating, soul-destroying, heartbreaking,” said Amy, who has been volunteering with Witness Services for more than a year.

“It’s hard to find a job, let alone a career,” she said.

The last job she applied for was in victim support, but she was told she didn’t have enough experience.

“What else can I give? I have a degree and a lot of volunteering experience,” she said.

She told the BBC her morale was at times low and she struggled emotionally at times, especially when it was “exhausting to apply for so many jobs”.

Young people who refuse to work will Facing benefit cutssaid the Work and Pensions Secretary.

Amy said she would be “in trouble” if her benefits were withdrawn, although she would be “open to any experience as it will help”.

“I really want to work but it’s hard to find work. There isn’t enough support to help people find further support and work.”

Kiarna, 18, from Birmingham, said she had struggled to find work since sixth grade because she felt misunderstood because of her learning difficulties and mental health issues.

“I went to university… but I felt like they didn’t understand me, they would complain about me, attack me. They didn’t understand that for people with learning difficulties, learning stuff is really hard. It takes longer to make it happen rings in your head,” she said.

Kiana said a lack of support and structure after completing formal education was also a barrier to finding work. She is now receiving help from the King’s Trust.

“My day job is watching my family go to work, to college, and then sitting there thinking about what my next step is,” she said.

“For kids with mental health issues, once you stop going to college, you don’t know what’s going to happen. It affects you really hard.

“The government should listen to young people… and say they will do more to get young people into work rather than sanctioning them.”

Fiona Button, 48, from London, left work 10 years ago to look after her three children after struggling to find adequate childcare.

“Honestly, I’d love to get a job,” Fiona said, adding that she was trying to find part-time or freelance writing work.

But she said “family responsibilities don’t go away” and she has no one to turn to for help with childcare. Her partner runs a business with 150 employees, which requires a significant investment of his time, and four of their parents have died.

Fiona said if she did get a job, she might end up paying for her work due to the cost of hiring a nanny. “Child care is expensive, but it would be easier and less hassle if I did it myself because there are fewer moving parts to coordinate.”

In particular, school holidays and sick leave exacerbate the challenge of ensuring flexible childcare.

Six years ago, at the age of 55, Andrew Bullock, from Coventry, chose not to continue working as a teacher.

Andrew, now 61, said: “It doesn’t satisfy me anymore and I don’t like being run by someone much younger than me.”

“Since stopping work I have spent my time looking after family and friends, doing voluntary work and spending more time traveling overseas.”

Andrew is now spending more time visiting his mother, who is in a nursing home, and will start caring for his granddaughter next year when she returns to work after maternity leave.

Andrew owns a number of rental properties and does the maintenance himself. He believes the government will be unable to lure him back to work.

He said his life was “pretty good” because his hobbies were not expensive and he had “enough income to live on through property rentals and part-time pension”.

“I’m much happier now, doing what I love,” Andrew added.

Reporting by Lucy Acheson, Chris Bramwell, Farea Massoud, Deborah Weitzman and Josh McMinn