Survey highlights parents concern about their children finding work after leaving school

A new survey, which questioned 2,000 parents across the country, today reveals that 89 per cent of parents are anxious about their sons and daughters finding work when they receive their exam results next month.

The survey, commissioned by national training provider, Lifetime, also revealed that 70 per cent of parents across the UK feel the Government should be doing more to help young people find work.

Last month, youth unemployment reached record levels. This, coupled with the high number of young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) is causing parents real concern, but on a positive note, 74 per cent would encourage their children to consider alternative training options such an apprenticeship, alongside more traditional routes such as university.

However, there seems to be a lack of information available to young people looking at training and employment options. In previous research conducted by Lifetime, 8 out of 10 16-18 year olds said they had never received any information from a career advisor, teacher or parent about apprenticeship opportunities. Despite this, 80 per cent said that, had the information been available, they would consider vocational training.

Nigel Wallace, Director of Training at Lifetime, comments: “With youth unemployment racing to its highest levels since the mid-1990s, on-the-job training offers an ideal opportunity for young people to gain recognised industry qualifications and showcase their skills to employers.

“The jobs market is highly competitive at the moment and many graduates leaving university are struggling to find employment. Whilst university offers a valuable training option to many, it is important to point out that there are many other training options for young people leaving school, apprenticeships being one of them.”

In addition to many other training opportunities, Lifetime offers government-funded, leisure-based apprenticeships across England. Despite the fact that the fitness industry continued to grow during the recession whilst many other industries struggled, parents still are not recognising the fantastic career opportunities the industry has to offer. Less than half of parents (44 per cent) believe that the industry can offer a lifetime of job prospects.

Wallace adds: “The leisure sector offers a vast range of career opportunities and employers look very favourably on vocational training. Young people seek career advice from many sources including parents, career advisors and teachers. It is absolutely vital that these sources are well equipped to advise on the full range of training opportunities available if we are to work together to reduce youth unemployment.”