Recent research from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) reveal that the UK has experienced a sharp increase in the number of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET).
The 16-24-year-old age category was estimated to have a total of 1 in 10 members of its demographic NEET at the end of last year, which is an increase of 1 percentage point on the previous quarter. The total number of individuals who were NEET from October to December of 2022 was estimated to be 788,000, up from 724,000 in the year’s third quarter.
Yet, interesting, figures highlight that this unemployment is not through lack of trying.
Data reveals an 187% increase in searches for ‘minimum wages for 18-year-old’ during the last 4 months, suggesting that young people are looking to secure employment. Further data illustrates this too, with searches for ‘construction apprenticeships’ having increased by 250% and ‘how to write a cover letter for an internship’ by 130% in the last 90 days alone.
Despite the above findings, vacancies are at historically high levels, even though they have fallen for four consecutive quarters throughout 2022, according to the most recent labour market overview.
These economic and social challenges only highlight that businesses and educational bodies need to make continued efforts to boost skills and training amongst younger age groups, particularly NEET individuals.
Specialist online training provider, Virtual College by Netex, offers a host of online training courses for young people to improve their skill sets to make them more of an asset to employers and to educational bodies.
The company also offers resources for young people to prepare for the processes involved in applying for educational positions and job roles, including the application and recruitment processes.
Sarah Baker, Managing Director at Virtual College by Netex, said: “Whilst the younger generation has shown efforts to secure employment, this doesn’t seem to be translating to an increase in this age group securing job roles, which is concerning.
“It’s therefore important that this younger generation is supported as much as possible when pursuing the next stage of their adult life, whether in employment or education.
“Our professional and personal development courses and resources are accessible online from anywhere. This means young adults can all the more easily, and conveniently, develop their skillsets and gain qualifications to help place them in a better position to secure employment or education and further their professional development.”
The range of products on offer at Virtual College by Netex that are suited to young adults wanting to pursue employment include ‘influencing, negotiating, and networking’, three crucial skills necessary to succeed in workplace culture. Similarly, the ‘maximising learning opportunities at work’ course, which helps young adults identify and make the most of workplace opportunities to further develop their professional and personal skillsets.
On the other hand, courses that are particularly well-suited for furthering education include ‘presentation skills’, outlining the do’s and don’ts of creating a successful workplace presentation. And finally, the ‘growth mindset’ training is ideal for interview processes and progressing in educational environments.
Virtual College by Netex offers hundreds of useful courses to support young adults in their pursuit of further education or securing a professional role.
You can find out more about the ready-to-go courses offered by Virtual College here > https://www.virtual-college.co.uk/courses/search?
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