The current governments well-publicised spending cuts are wreaking havoc with the job prospects of an entire generation of young people, says a recently published survey by ComRes.
The survey results show that 66 per cent of those asked thinks the government’s economic policy threatens to leave a generation of young people unemployed, with just 19% disagreeing. The report, which also shows that just 13% of the electorate believe the government is doing a good job at helping young people find work, is a damning indictment on the coalition government’s policies and illustrates exactly how difficult it is for young people to find work in the UK today.
As well as the lack of job prospects, the increase of the cap on University tuition fees has led to many of the UK’s young people unable to afford further education – meaning a generation of young people are currently in employment limbo.
The ComRes report, however, does have a few positive notes and suggests there may be a route out of the crisis affecting today’s young people. As well as the survey showing overwhelming support for the Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls’ proposal to tax bankers to raise money to fight youth unemployment (88%), it also demonstrated public opinion is very much in favour of the government doing more to help young people find jobs than get into University (69% agree). 88% of those surveyed agree that the best way to achieve this is for the education system to provide students with more vocational skills in order to equip them better for the workplace.
Vocational courses like electrician training, have become much more of a viable alternative to costly university degrees in recent years. As well as being much more cost-effective, when compared to £9,000 per year tuition fees, courses like electrician training can also provide young people with a clear route to a fulfilling and rewarding career.
In response to the ComRes report, Business Secretary Vince Cable conceded that vocational courses like electrician training will play a big part in the future as the government attempts to improve job prospects for young people, writing in The Sunday Mirror:
“Practical training for young people has been under-valued and under-funded for too long... For too long academic qualifications have been valued above vocational skills. That is wrong... We must revive the respect we (used to have) for skilled craftsmen.”
It appears then that, as University admissions drop, vocational courses like electrician training, plumber training, decorating and bricklaying will become much more popular – as young people look to learn a trade and gain the skills to be able to provide for themselves in the future.
RF Training provides vocational courses and runs a new business start-up support scheme from its two custom-built training centres in Birmingham and Manchester. Courses provided include electrician training, plumber training, gas training and locksmith training.