The recent pandemic’s impact extended across various sectors in the UK, including the economy and education, distorting the professional growth of young people. This forced the UK to rethink the future, specifically, how young people can be assisted in some way for career security.
One new plan is VWEX (virtual work experience), a setup that replaces, or comes to exist side by side with, traditional work placement. Since pandemic restrictions have impacted employability in certain industries, young people have been looking for opportunities that help improve their skills and knowledge, and by taking part in a virtual work experience programme, students can reap many benefits that will help them into the future.
To determine the support available to young people and the relationship between what young people could be thinking, and what employers and government think post-pandemic, Speakers for Schools commissioned three YouGov surveys that were completed by more than 2,000 young people, 100 business innovators, and 100 MPs.
The New Normal Has Influenced What Young People Think Post-Pandemic
The influence of the recent pandemic means young people need to have new priorities. Between now and the most recent lockdown, young people have seen mental health as an area in need of critical response, but they have also prioritized access to work experience following the survey.
Young people are asking what can be done to boost their confidence with regards to their careers. The answer for many is work experience in the field they desire. The survey shows 53-63% of young people voted against any other activity post-pandemic. In the same manner, 47-55% say the unavailability of work placement opportunities is one reason they are unsure of their future career success.
The Disparity in Thinking Between Employers/Government and Young People
Nearly all employers and politicians admit the pandemic experience has been critical on young people. The survey shows 91% of employees and 95% of politicians agree that the professional makeup of young people has been somehow affected during the lockdown.
But it does not end here. Employers are thinking about young people’s careers in a way that’s slightly different from what young people think of themselves.
In the survey, 67% of employers believe firmly that they understand the hopes, needs, and aspirations of young people. However, when young people are questioned to confirm that assertion, 77% say employers do not know their hopes, needs, and aspirations well enough.
Something is not sitting right, and this is explained in the fact that 66% of employers do not gain insights into young people directly from them. They gather their data through young people’s friends and family who cannot exactly tell what young people experience and expect in society.
Like employers, politicians (between 84-86%) gather insights into aspiring young people from people within their immediate environment, including from schools, family, and friends.
Both employers and politicians would do well to consider going beyond the traditional constituents to gather true insights into young people’s thoughts and expectations in the UK. Going beyond the traditional framework will better reveal the true state of mind of young people, providing a better explanation of their needs, hopes, and aspirations post-pandemic.
The New Normal is Virtual Work Experience
The easing of lockdowns is seeing traditional work experience returning. However, the experience is not what it once was. Many businesses are having their employees work from home part time, and some have moved fully virtual. This means a reduced number of available physical trainers.
Before the pandemic, most of the young people reached through track and trace could participate in work experience placement. However, young people today would be mandated to self-isolate.
Nonetheless, the UK is still facing the challenges of placement availability and accessibility. For example, cost and location hinder traditional work experience participation by reducing the number of active young people.
With VWEX, more online placements can resume activities, and more young people can participate flexibly. Online work experience eliminates the accessibility and cost problems. In this case, young people and employers can seamlessly meet virtually from anywhere. Since virtual work experience is flexible, more businesses are putting things in place, including upscaling their outreach, to boost the number of placements, thereby increasing the catchment area for more young people to participate.
The Needed Support is Arriving
Since nearly 100% of employers and politicians agree that young people have been significantly impacted by COVID, it is, therefore, easier to put things in order. Businesses, organizations, and governments are making sure UK young people are given a fitting post-pandemic experience with respect to their professional growth.
A nonprofit organization like Speakers for Schools, for example, is strengthening the campaign by investing and partnering with various organizations to increase virtual placements. On the part of the UK government, £5 billion is being invested to give difficult-to-reach homes and businesses access to next-generation gigabit broadband.
short url:
