FORTY per cent of young people in the West Midlands claim their future career prospects have already been damaged by the coronavirus crisis, while over half (51 per cent) say it will be ‘harder than ever’ to get a job.
That’s just two of the findings from a survey carried out among young people for the Prince’s Trust.
In addition 43 per cent say their anxiety levels have increased due to the pandemic while more than half (52 per cent) say they don’t feel in control of their lives, significantly higher than findings from just five months ago, supported by L’Oreal Paris
The Prince’s Trust is now calling on government, businesses and charities to come together to prevent a youth jobs crisis and to ensure a generation doesn’t lose hope.
Research conducted during lockdown reveals how 40 per cent in the West Midlands feel their future career prospects have already been damaged by the coronavirus pandemic, while 53 per cent say that finding a job now feels impossible.
The findings are part of a national survey of 1,022 of 16 to 25 year-olds reveals the extent to which concerns about future employment prospects are weighing on young minds.
In the West Midlands half (51 per cent) worry it will be harder than ever to get a job, 74 per cent feel like their life is on hold and a third (33 per cent) feel that everything they have worked for is now “going to waste”.
Michele Farmer, regional director for central England at The Princes Trust said: “This report paints a truly stark picture of how the coronavirus crisis is impacting young people in the Midlands and over the UK.
“We cannot allow this crisis to damage the aspirations and prospects of our nation’s young people.
“The Prince’s Trust is here to help young people through this challenging time, and government, employers and charities need to work together to stop the economic effects of this pandemic from spiralling out of control.”
As part of its response to the coronavirus crisis, The Trust has launched a ‘Get Hired Jobs Board’, which currently has more than 140 live jobs across a range of different sectors, to match employers with young people who are ready to work now.
The charity has also established a ‘Coronavirus Support Hub’ and a Young People Relief Fund.
