Andrew Hunter, co-founder of Adzuna, commented: “New economic opportunities are helping erode away youth unemployment, whilst new job vacancies are transforming the jobs market from a barren wasteland in which it was incredibly difficult to find a first job, into a land of opportunity for Britain's young workforce. Falling youth unemployment has been helped along the way by a flourishing graduate labour market and more employers are investing in entry level talent, by training up less experienced staff to meet growing demand. This is largely a result of a severe shortage of mid-level staff. One of the aftershocks of the recession is a real lack of workers with a few years work experience under their belt, and employers increasingly believe that entry level talent is the answer. The resulting growing demand for graduates is evident in rising advertised salaries for newly qualified employees as revealed in Adzuna's last Jobs Report, which showed graduate wages grew by 5% over the last year, reaching £24,762 in June 2014.
“But more could be done to provide alternative routes into work for young jobseekers. Industrial sectors, such as manufacturing and engineering are currently crying out for new skilled talent – without which they will struggle to capitalise on growing demand. Apprenticeships could help plug this gap, and would simultaneously give a further helping hand to young workers looking to gain initial experience in the working world.”