At a time when there are still close to 1 million 16 to 24 year olds out of work in the UK and up to 66 young people applying for each job,[i] it is more important than ever that this cohort has the best opportunities to demonstrate their ability to make a valuable contribution.
Although qualifications provide a useful benchmark for many employers when making recruitment decisions, new data from social investor Nominet Trust reveals that 77% of industry professionals interviewed believe that it is important to look beyond qualifications and assess the broader set of skills and experience necessary if young people are to perform effectively in the workplace.
The research, which also interviewed over 1000 young people between the ages of 16-18, showed that nearly half (47%) are either anxious or fearful or unsure about employment prospects. Young people attributed reasons regarding lack of opportunity (64%), lack of experience (28%) and lack of preparedness (27%) for these feelings of unease.
What’s more, the data also revealed that many young people are crying out for assistance in CV and portfolio development (57%), interview training (46%) and access to work related networks, (19%) in order to demonstrate their relevent experience to potential employers.
Nominet Trust believes that digital technology is vital in supporting young people to develop and demonstrate their talents and abilities. The Trust is calling on policy makers, teachers, youth workers and other individuals working in the space to recognise new approaches to young people’s employment and reward supported by technology.
For instance, FLiP, a Nominet Trust funded project, enables young people to use their online social networks to build a strengths profile; improve the way they present themselves to employers; track their development and ultimately improve their CVs and prepare for interviews. Employers can then use these profiles to aid their recruitment process.
Another project, Slivers of Time gives young people the opportunity to make their spare hours count and build up valuable work experience on an immediate, short-term or volunteering basis through online booking systems. This gives young people the opportunity to understand the skills required in different industries and therefore helps to inform their future career decisions.
Annika Small, CEO of Nominet Trust said: “It is interesting to see that young people and employers alike recognise the value of a broader set of skills and experiences beyond those assessed by formal qualifications.
“At Nominet Trust, we are seeing that digital technology can be a vital recruitment tool by enabling people to showcase a wider range of talents, interests and experiences. Whether capitalising on online social networks to forge relationships between young people and potential employers or using online platforms to support micro-employment, digital technology has a crucial role to play in helping young people develop and demonstrate their skills and abilities to future employers.”
Having launched their £2 million investment programme, Digital Edge earlier this year, Nominet Trust is actively looking for new ways in which digital technology can be used to improve the social and economic participation of young people. The second round of the programme is now open to applicants.
Anyone interested in finding out more about the Digital Edge funding available from Nominet Trust should go to http://www.nominettrust.org.uk/how-to-apply/areas-investment/digital-edge. Applications close in January 2013.
i. Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JFR)
