Every week, another headline appears about young people struggling to find work. Reports discuss rising unemployment figures, economic inactivity and the growing number of young people who are not currently in education, employment or training. The statistics are important because they help us understand the scale of the challenge, but they should never become the whole story.
Government research, including the Young People and Work Interim Report, highlights the importance of improving access to employment, skills development and long-term opportunities for young people.
Behind every percentage is a young person with ambitions, talents and potential. Someone who wants to contribute, build a career and become financially independent. For many, the journey into employment is becoming increasingly difficult, not because they lack ability, but because the path towards opportunity has become more complicated.
At I’M MORE, we believe youth employment is about far more than statistics. It is about recognising potential, building confidence and creating opportunities that allow young people to demonstrate what they are capable of achieving.
The Growing Challenge Facing Young People
For many people aged between 16 and 24, securing a first job has never felt more challenging. School leavers, college students and university graduates are entering a labour market where competition is fierce and genuine entry-level opportunities can be difficult to find.
Many vacancies advertised as entry-level still ask applicants to have previous experience, creating a frustrating cycle for young people trying to take their first step into work. Without someone willing to provide that initial opportunity, it can feel impossible to gain the experience employers are looking for.
For those who are currently not in education, employment or training, the challenge often extends beyond finding a vacancy. Long periods without work can affect confidence, motivation and self-belief, making each new application feel more daunting than the last.
More Than a CV
A CV tells an employer where someone has worked and what qualifications they have achieved. What it rarely captures is determination, resilience, attitude or potential.
Many young people possess the qualities employers value most. They are adaptable, eager to learn and ready to contribute. Yet without previous employment, these strengths can remain hidden behind a relatively short CV.
Employers understandably face their own pressures. Recruiting and training new staff requires both time and financial investment, particularly for small businesses managing rising operating costs. It is natural that many organisations seek candidates who can become productive quickly.
However, every experienced employee was once a beginner.
Providing meaningful work experience, apprenticeships and genuine entry-level opportunities helps businesses develop future talent while giving young people the experience they need to begin successful careers.
Confidence Is Often the Missing Ingredient
One of the greatest barriers facing many young people is not capability but confidence.
Repeated rejection can lead someone to question their own value. Applications go unanswered. Interviews become increasingly intimidating. Eventually, some stop believing they have anything worthwhile to offer.
Confidence and capability are not the same thing.
Someone who lacks confidence today may become an exceptional employee tomorrow when given encouragement, guidance and an opportunity to prove themselves.
Helping young people rebuild confidence should be viewed as an investment rather than simply a support service.
Preparing Young People for Modern Recruitment
Today’s workplace requires more than academic achievement alone.
Employers increasingly value communication, teamwork, adaptability, reliability and problem-solving alongside qualifications. As recruitment continues to evolve, digital skills and an understanding of modern technology, including artificial intelligence, are becoming increasingly valuable.
Preparing young people for employment means helping them develop practical workplace skills through interview preparation, work experience, employability training and professional communication.
It also means helping young people recognise their own strengths and learn how to present them with confidence.
Understanding Both Sides
The conversation around youth employment should never become a debate between employers and young people.
Businesses face genuine commercial pressures. Recruiting new employees involves cost, training and risk, while young people often struggle simply to gain their first opportunity.
Both perspectives deserve understanding.
The solution lies in building stronger partnerships between employers, schools, colleges, universities, employment support organisations and community initiatives. Institutions such as Chelmsford College demonstrate how education providers can work alongside employers to equip students with practical skills and improve employment outcomes.
When these groups work together, young people gain clearer pathways into employment while employers gain access to motivated future talent.
Support Beyond the Job Search
Many young people receive support through Universal Credit, Jobcentre Plus and Department for Work and Pensions employment programmes. These services play an important role in helping individuals prepare for employment, identify opportunities and develop workplace skills.
Alongside government support, confidence-building programmes, employability training, mentoring, work experience and employer engagement all contribute towards helping young people become work-ready.
Support should not simply focus on finding a job. It should focus on helping individuals build sustainable careers.
Investing in Potential
Every generation faces different challenges, and today’s young people are navigating a rapidly changing employment landscape shaped by technological change, economic uncertainty and evolving workplace expectations.
Rather than defining young people by periods of unemployment or inactivity, we should focus on helping them develop the skills, confidence and experience needed to succeed.
Potential cannot always be measured by qualifications or previous employment. Sometimes it simply needs an opportunity to be discovered.
The I’M MORE Perspective
At I’M MORE, we believe every young person deserves the opportunity to be seen beyond their CV and beyond their current circumstances.
Someone who is not currently in education, employment or training is not defined by that moment in their life. Their future should never be limited by a statistic or a label.
Through confidence building, employability skills, practical experience, employer engagement and innovative approaches such as Video CVs, we believe more young people can demonstrate their abilities and access opportunities that may otherwise remain out of reach.
Youth employment is not simply an economic issue. It is about unlocking potential, strengthening communities and investing in the people who will shape tomorrow’s workforce.
The conversation should not end with headlines about rising unemployment. It should continue with practical action, stronger partnerships and a shared commitment to ensuring every young person has the opportunity to discover their strengths, believe in their abilities and become everything they have the potential to be.
