Should we be exposing the next generation to a wider view of the world of work?

What are the current challenges facing the UK workforce?

Over recent years, the UK workforce has experienced increasing pressure to combat the skills shortage crisis.

A report from the ICAEW details that although there is a wealth of talent and experience in the country, it is not yet tailored to what UK businesses actually need. These issues are furthered by the increasingly ‘ageing’ workforce in comparison to the number of younger workers being recruited.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many older workers who had previously delayed their retirement decided that they no longer wanted to work, resulting in significant gaps in both the workforce and highly skilled jobs.

Hence, these ‘gaps’ in the workforce naturally fall onto the duty of younger generation workers to fulfil. Sectors including UK local authorities have been found to be struggling as a result of talent shortages, according to a report published by Comensura in collaboration with Inside HR. Therefore, it should be key to UK economic future prosperity to direct more resources towards educating young people about non-traditional and highly in need career opportunities, such as working for a local authority or in the social care sector.

At what age do children begin to consider their career aspirations?

Studies by the OECD (reported by the BBC) suggest that by the age of seven, most children already have a good idea of the type of career they would be interested in pursuing. Furthermore, a report from the OECD in conjunction with Education and Employers (2019) found that there are only slight changes in attitudes towards career options for children between the ages of seven and seventeen.

The director of education and skills at the OECD, Andreas Schleicher has said that “talent is being wasted” due to ingrained stereotyping about social background, gender, and race.

This is why it is crucial for large organisations and employers to work with schools and young people, in order to break the barriers to social mobility, enabling more young people to consider a broader range of employment opportunities.

Benefits of employing younger people

In addition to reducing the rates of unemployment in the UK, taking advantage of the current talent shortage and ‘mobilising’ the next generation of workers has many benefits.

A handful of the most notable are detailed below:

Offering a new or different perspective – young people may have a more up-to-date understanding of topical issues and know how to effectively communicate them to a younger audience.

Enabling a more dynamic and innovative workforce – younger workers tend to be more adaptable to change and may offer new methods of working to improve efficiency in the workplace.

Allowing for long-term growth and development of the workforce – young people are accustomed to learning and hence by recruiting younger individuals, employers can develop and retain top talent, for the long term.

How to overcome UK talent shortages by recruiting more young people

At Comensura, we specialise in helping organisations plan, build and manage their workforces. We strive to find smarter workforce solutions which save organisations money and time, whilst ensuring full compliance and better access to talent.

By considering the impact of hiring more young people to combat UK talent shortages, we suggest that:

Employers should put more emphasis on social mobility. Particularly focusing on young people from low socio-economic backgrounds, offering them more opportunities to develop key skills and knowledge about a wide range of industries and sectors. Employers should provide more information about non-traditional career paths that younger people may be unaware of or know less about - this will allow individuals to make better informed decisions when choosing which career path to follow, after completing their education.

Employers should work with primary and secondary schools. To give children a wider and improved exposure to the diverse range of careers available and the wider workplace. The information provided and the way it is presented should be tailored to meet the level of understanding of the target audience (children) whilst still being informative and engaging. This could be done by actively going to visit schools or by holding career fairs specifically targeted towards young people.

Employers should look to offer more pathways to accessing employment for young people. Particularly school leavers who may not have the necessary qualifications to access higher education. It is important to recognise that leaving school at age eighteen should not act as a barrier to employment. Employers should undertake the responsibility to offer alternative routes to provide employment opportunities to more young people.

Social mobility at Comensura

At Comensura, we are profoundly committed to advancing social mobility, particularly for young people from low socio-economic backgrounds. We believe in offering opportunities for these individuals to develop essential skills and acquire knowledge about a wide array of industries and sectors. Get in touch with the team to find out more.