Employers appear to have a negative perception of young people, as a quarter have admitted they haven’t employed anyone aged 16-24 in the past 12 months.
The statistics imply that employers see young people as something of a risk and are consequently discouraged from employing them – despite the fact that 71% of employers believe they have a role to play in tackling youth unemployment.
The research comes from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), which surveyed close to 800 employers.
The study also found that only 56% of employers have plans to employ young people in the coming year.
With employment prospects looking glum, it may be worth looking into
graduate schemes, which are specially designed for young people fresh out of university.
At the beginning of this week, the Civil Service Fast Stream opened for applicants. The scheme ranked 15 in The Guardian UK 300 list of the most popular graduate employers, and it has undergone a bit of a makeover in order to provide successful applicants with a more structured career path.
The first two years of the scheme will be spent in four very different placements to give you an overview of how the public service sector works. This could include managing a court or Jobcentre, or working on border control and will give graduates the chance to gain management skills (relating to people, projects and finance).
The following two years will see you in two 12-month placements, gaining more in-depth experience and obtaining more skills that will be invaluable to your career.
There are schemes to suit every taste: the Graduate Fast Stream, which will consider applicants with a degree in any subject; the HR Fast Stream; the Technology in Business Fast Stream; and the Analytical Fast Stream, which is designed for economists and social and operational researchers.
For jetsetter graduates, the European Fast Stream may be just up your street, as it caters to those who are looking for a permanent career in the EU institutions in Brussels. Alternatively, you have the option of setting up camp in the Northern Ireland Civil Service if you opt for the Northern Ireland Fast Stream.