Not in Education, Employment or Training- a Graduate Perspective

Recently, having turned 21, thinking that this birthday would be the final initiation into adulthood;  I found myself struggling with the cost of living and unable to build my savings. The difficulty is not being young… it’s struggling to grow up. While our grandparents could scale the property ladder as house prices and salaries grew, we find ourselves staring up from the bottom- unable to take the first steps.

Along with inflation and other economic obstacles,  opportunities to establish careers and build a name for ourselves seem more and more elusive. The dreaded questions… what would you like to do after university? What field of work are you interested in? And of course, there is the dreaded reaction to our answer… That’s quite a competitive field.

Competition. A word that dominates the employment market, leaving young people feeling demotivated in their job search. This competitiveness, it seems to me, limits opportunities and is one of the reasons I believe the NEET’s rate has become so high.

The term NEET refers to someone not in education, employment, or training and with each year there is a concerning rise in young people in this situation. The population is growing, costs are rising, and opportunities to progress seem to be diminishing. Why is this and how do we combat it?

In a recent conversation with a Psychology student from the University of Warwick, we explored the issues surrounding opportunity and its correlations with mental health.

Q: As a third-year student, do you believe there is a lack of opportunity for graduates leaving university this year?

A: I think there are definitely a lot of opportunities. However, they only cater to a certain number of people and, even then, are not appealing to the majority of people. Most things available are corporate schemes and seem to have no relevance to my degree or the career I want to pursue. This is the same for many other people I know too.

The problem she identified was not the lack of opportunity in general, but the obvious dominance of the corporate world. This sector, she felt, had no relevance to her; as someone working toward a career that involves human interaction and developing interpersonal skills, the experience opportunities available are failing her.

At this point in the discussion, I reflected on my own degree and the opportunities available for English Literature graduates. Many part-time roles available during the course of my degree were zero-hour AI training jobs. Aside from these AI data inputting positions, I struggled to find any opportunities that could enhance my skills in an office, or even human environment. Throughout my degree, I would email myriad companies and independent businesses, reaching out for experience and often hearing nothing in return. Most companies go as far to declare they will not give feedback on rejected applications, nor will they accept any queries on work experience “due to the high level of requests”. Ambitious, confident and keen candidates are left unheard because companies do not have the time or attach the value to hearing what young people can offer.

I believe there is a lack of humanity in corporations and that efficiency is valued over community. With AI and the digital world becoming increasingly globalised, it has become normal for companies to view employees as machinery; technological progression has induced a regression in human relationships. The dehumanisation and consumerist-driven attitude that prioritises profit over experience is, I believe, fuelling the increasing NEET rate. Yes… it’s business, but it is also livelihood and time; to eradicate the human is to monotonise our world.

I was interested to know if the student felt similar to me, whether this limitation of gaining knowledge had the potential to impact her well-being.

Q: Do you believe that having this limitation in career opportunities affects your mental health?

A: It is demotivating definitely. It can really slow you down and we all have this idea of an ideal career path. With each step we take in progressing our career, more obstacles arise which slow it down. Two steps forward, one step back. Eventually, it becomes- settling with something you don’t want and which doesn’t enhance your skills just for money and to avoid gaps on your CV.

This student went on to explain that most opportunities that are available and align with their career, are unpaid. Of course, obtaining skills and having these opportunities is a great thing but earning a living while juggling these experiences can be overwhelming. Trying to earn money, study, and work for free seems to be what it takes to look mildly appealing as an employee. The ends to which a young person must go to impress an employer are exhausting. Often, it takes extensive research to find a single opportunity. All this on top of immense student debt and the cost of living crisis, meaning young people are on the back foot before starting their lives.

What this means for the future is uncertain. I’m struggling to find answers. I do, however, believe that an important first step is for companies to take more interest in people and  for the government to promote this interest. More organisations should be open to helping people build their careers and take an active interest in the generation who will build the country’s future.