It’s always been a struggle for young people to find jobs, and while this is a national issue, I wanted to see what was keeping young people living and studying in Bedford from finding employment.
This issue matters, and I am not alone in thinking so. A recent independent interim report on young people and work found that 84% want a job, but 6 in 10 have been unable to find one.
I believe young people face other reasons for not being employed, such as the heavy, unavoidable burden of education and extracurricular activities.
The unavoidable task list you hit when you turn 16, with never-ending questions about GCSEs and college/sixth form choices; it feels as if every decision is world-ending.
Why is employment so difficult?
So why do so many young people feel as if unemployment is the hardest thing to overcome?
Stats suggest that the unemployment rate has decreased from 9% to 5.5% among young people, but anecdotally, when speaking with those in the local community, the picture isn’t as clear.
Aryaan Chaudhary, a young person who works at a high street store, believes finding a job is hard for young people, especially if you don’t have previous experience, which can be a key factor for many.
His advice on what makes someone a good job candidate is to believe in yourself.
‘’Confidence, you should always be confident. You should never come across as shy and just be yourself. ’’
Young people vs the world
Despite experience being an issue, I believe several pressures beyond employment make life harder for young people.
With expectations to education, employment, work experience, driving and dealing simultaneously with growing relationships and, most importantly, discovering yourself and what you want to achieve in life.
Also, we can’t ignore that during development, most older teenagers in 2026 faced the issues of COVID, which was a disadvantage to their personal growth.
Research from King’s College London highlighted lessons from the pandemic.
In the foreword to their research, Unequal pressures: how disadvantage shaped young people’s education and wellbeing during the pandemic and why it still matters, they said: “If we take one lesson from the pandemic, it is that piling ever more weight onto young people’s academic performance is not sustainable.
“We need targeted support for students who balance school with difficult home lives or other responsibilities.
“And we need to rethink an education system that makes academic success feel like the only route to security in an uncertain world.”
So I personally believe there are more issues than just young people being seen as lazy and uninterested in employment.
It’s a complex issue, made even more confusing when stats show that employment among young people is rising, but those not in employment, education, or training (NEET) are increasing.
Young NEET people are now more likely to be economically inactive than unemployed, at 57% versus 43%, according to Government research.
Lost generation
So how exactly is the Government tackling this issue? I spoke with Bedford & Kempston MP, Mohammad Yasin (Labour).
Yasin believes that there is no such label as ‘lost generation’. Instead, he says today’s young people face unique global issues simultaneously that other generations haven’t experienced.
He says this puts a lot on their plates as they navigate growing up in today’s world.
Yasin believes that “the problem is structural” when it comes to young people being able to find employment.
He says the blame should not be placed on young people, but he understands there needs to be more awareness of how their environment plays a major role in outcomes for young people.
The Government report highlights fewer entry-level jobs and a harder transition into work.
‘’This is not a generation unwilling to work, but a labour market that has become harder to enter,” says Yasin.
But what about young people in Bedford?
Yasin says he is helping young constituents from Bedford and Kempston access opportunities through the government’s Youth Guarantee programme.
This is backed by around £2.5 billion pledged to help young people get the support they need to earn or learn.
Ambitious and engaged
While asking young people about the pressures of work and education, I met another young person who works at an independent farm shop in her village. She found a job not on Indeed but on a local Facebook page.
“It’s hard to find a job that helps you balance the hours out, and having to find time for yourself can be difficult and a pain,” she said.
Through talking to her, I found that young people face pressures beyond the constant pressure to find work.
As I have experienced myself, trying to find time not only for yourself but also for school and relationships with others can be extremely overwhelming to juggle.
It’s clear from the young people I’ve spoken to that we do want to work, and the narrative that we’re lazy and unbothered about employment is a myth.
The young people in Bedford are ambitious and engaged; they want work, so they should get help to find it.
