Why young people can't get the jobs they want and what can be done about it

Abstract

The current generation of young people is the most qualified but the most underemployed generation ever. After two years of Coalition government they have less to look forward to than ever and most can anticipate being worse off than their parents. This article explains why so many young people are unable to get the jobs and lead the lives that they want: while youth joblessness has been accentuated by the recession, it is also the result of long-term, structural changes in the economy. It challenges claims about the growth of the so-called 'knowledge economy' and questions the ability of education to adequately respond by 'raising standards'. With the new Coalition government and most policy-makers offering almost nothing, save 'apprenticeships without jobs' for the masses of school and college leavers, and 'internships' for 'the squeezed middle' of university graduates, the article offers some preliminary proposals to start addressing the problem.