Do young adults in the UK not want to work?

docklanders

I am very fortunate in that I have a business that is relatively successful in the UK

This last few weeks I have been holding interviews to fill a position..the wage is only slightly above minimum wage, but, it is a little above.

I am looking to train this person up into a better skill.

I have not been looking for a rocket scientist or brain surgeon, just someone that would seem to have reliability and some work ethic.

5 people never bothered to turn up for the interviews...3 were late... 1 had the mother phone up to make an excuse.. a few people turned up wearing jeans....2 people actually told me they had to come for the interviews or they would lose their entitlement to social security benefits...

I was hoping to try to help someone from benefits into the workplace. Is it that young adults do not want to work?

Well I live in the UK and i'm 20, been technically unemployed for a year. Had 3 interviews, no success. Spend at least an hour every day job searching, hand my CV's out in person, in work clothes, as often as possible. Willing to adapt, be trained and relocate, etc.

I think the problem is people get an idea in their head of what the average young unemployed person is, and assume the majority is just like them. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of kids that are more than happy to sit around doing nothing and spending their benefit money on nights out and takeaways... but I give every penny to my Dad for rent, and continue to try my hardest to find employment.

Some of us are just highly unfortunate.

jollyjoe321

I think a lot of people assume you need a degree in order to succeed, schools preach that university is the way forward.

1. Going straight to a University is in a lot of cases not the best way to obtain a degree
2. A degree in some fields, for example, the IT industry, only proves really that you have a degree of intelligence, as it is out of date in a matter of years. However, you can prove intelligence in other ways.

rubixcyoob

I think many unemployed persons want to find a job that they "like" and that is "fun". They are kind of missing the point that this isn't the primary purpose of working.
My sister is 45 and had this attitude. She's still looking. I get very cross about it you have such a circular argument with people with this sense of entitlement.

I would take it from the OP comments, if people didn't bother to show up, they also didn't bother to have the manners to contact her to reschedule. If they had a decent excuse they would have done that. So not bothering is, well , not bothering. There are not many things (well maybe a death in the family) that are good enough excuses to not go to a job interview.

So your opinion is that people just need to do something they hate for majority of there time, just to struggle to have a place to sleep, and eat so they can wake up the next day and do the same thing they hate? Meanwhile the persons they work for have risen above that struggle by having others do the hated work for them?

Yes. It's called working your way up.

Unfortunatlly it is near impossible to work your way up for the average human. Evidence in how many "poor" people there are to those in "middle class" and "rich". When humans make a decision they weight the risk vs reward of the situation. If the job you are looking at acomplishing provides to much risk and little reward then you will choose not to take that job, if you do you are unhappy about doing it. If you spend 32hours + working and can only afford part of the security needed (food, water, airable land, shelter, entertainment, health, retirment) then the risk is already to high and you will be unhappy. I know what your thinking, it is better to work and afford food and shelter at least to stay alive... and be miserable, and build frustrations that you take out on your family, loved ones.

No actually what I was thinking is "life's what you make it". My dad was a lorry driver and my mum a factory worker. We were poor. I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I did some seriously **** jobs to save money so I could go to University. I worked throughout University so I could pay for my accommodation. I made some debts on the way and took a while to pay them off. Now I have a decent job and a good income, but I WORKED for that.

"Working your way up" and life being "what you make it" are two entierely different concepts.

It is very easy to take control of your life and attempt to get to where you are happy, but that does not mean you will ever work your way up.
Take my work for example - a boy in my year left school at 16, very smart but did not gain many qualifications and no higher/further education. He got a job with the Civil Service and he does enough to keep his job past probation and ensure that he has good holidays, pension scheme, is used as a floor walker and training helper etc. He can afford his car, rent, utilities etc. however, he will never progress to manager level - there isn't that oppertunity because the Civil Service is being cut by thousands in the next two years.

Making a comfortable life for yourself, doesn't mean you have career ladder progression.

Sovictorrious

I don't know anyone who" wants" to work.

debbash68

:laugh:

I don't know anyone who" wants" to work.

There are only a few " jobs" worth doing

18guyhornet

I had the same issue! I just filled a position where the new hire started today! I actually had an applicant I offered the job to turn it down because it "sounds too much like work"! Really?!! Friggin' ridiculous! And I'm in the states so it's not a UK only problem - it's the entitlement generation!

CannibalisticVegetarian

That's actually pretty sad when you think about it. Hell if I ever decide to move on over to the UK i'll be sure to hit you up! Lol. I could use a steady income.

krazyforyou

Here in the United States the jobs that are lacking people intrested are Blue Collar job such as plumbers, mechanics, etc. A good trade school, not a degress is sometimes the ticket to a good and dependable job. However our younger generation has been hand fed the mentallity that what I want I get. Dont know the answer for that one

pastryari

Lol



INb4sweepinggeneralizationsaboutanentiregeneration



OH, wait...

iamanadult

Why would it not be acceptable to wear jeans to an interview for a slightly above minimum wage job?

whierd

Lol



INb4sweepinggeneralizationsaboutanentiregeneration



OH, wait...

Stop being lazy and entitled.

SailorKnightWing

Why would it not be acceptable to wear jeans to an interview for a slightly above minimum wage job?

That's what I'm wondering. If you're not going to pay living wage, people aren't going to want it like their lives depend on it. Yeah, they could have been more professional but your job doesn't sound like the most prestigious place to work, either.

ldrosophila

What smart little buggars just go go an interview and get to continue living off the system. I might not have been as blatant about telling you why I was there. Instead, I might have been totally inappropriate told you how much I love to sit down and watch TV, or my weakness was I really hate customers.

We are the dumb idiots for working our butts off. Everyday we go to work, put up with crap all day, pay into a system, and get nothing back while the smart ones know how to get milk from the teat of the country until that b-tch is dry. Bravo to them for figuring it out. The rest of us our suckers.

I get tons back from my hardwork. Not only monetary gains, but I also have a lot of pride in myself for KNOWING that I am a hard, competent worker.

Pride maybe, but you should feel angry when (I assume) legitimately healthy adults are getting more out of the system than you are despite the fact you pay more into it. Early 30's? how much have you paid into SSI and medicare? How much do you think you will get back?

PS-know OP is referring to UK, but this exact scenario is what I've encountered in the states. Although for me it was all age groups.

whierd

What smart little buggars just go go an interview and get to continue living off the system. I might not have been as blatant about telling you why I was there. Instead, I might have been totally inappropriate told you how much I love to sit down and watch TV, or my weakness was I really hate customers.

We are the dumb idiots for working our butts off. Everyday we go to work, put up with crap all day, pay into a system, and get nothing back while the smart ones know how to get milk from the teat of the country until that b-tch is dry. Bravo to them for figuring it out. The rest of us our suckers.

I get tons back from my hardwork. Not only monetary gains, but I also have a lot of pride in myself for KNOWING that I am a hard, competent worker.

Pride maybe, but you should feel angry when (I assume) legitimately healthy adults are getting more out of the system than you are despite the fact you pay more into it. Early 30's? how much have you paid into SSI and medicare? How much do you think you will get back?

Late 20's. And I have paid in quite a bit and never expect to see it back. I am not angry that others get "more" outnof the system than me, I am angry that I have to pay into the system at all. But that is another thread.

BeachIron

Lol



INb4sweepinggeneralizationsaboutanentiregeneration



OH, wait...

Stop being lazy and entitled.

Yep. Given the choice between (a) perhaps I should offer better pay to attract better qualified and more eager applicants, and (b) an entire generation is a bunch of lazy, good-for-nothing hooligans, the OP has chosen (b). I don't think this bodes well for the future of employer/employee relationships at a certain company in the UK . . .

whierd

Lol



INb4sweepinggeneralizationsaboutanentiregeneration



OH, wait...

Stop being lazy and entitled.

Yep. Given the choice between (a) perhaps I should offer better pay to attract better qualified and more eager applicants, and (b) an entire generation is a bunch of lazy, good-for-nothing hooligans, the OP has chosen (b). I don't think this bodes well for the future of employer/employee relationships at a certain company in the UK . . .

It is a good study on the market needing to adjust, that is for sure. If you cannot find quality people at a certain wage, then you need to increase the wage to open yourself up to a broader spectrum of applicants.

And "advancement opportunities" really is a thing to be skeptical about, because some places use that as a draw to bring in motivated people they never really intend to advance.

ldrosophila

What I learned starting at 16 when looking for jobs...

1. Spell correctly
2. Present all experiences in a positive light (even the negative jobs and the *kitten* bosses)
3. Dress correctly. These are acceptable for entry level jobs nice slacks and buttoned or polo shirt for men, a below the knee dress or skirt for women or nice slacks with a understated blouse. Upper level dress for the job.
4. Smile and if you can make the interviewer laugh or share some empathy you might just land the job.
5. There is no such thing as a bad interview. Every interview teaches you something for the next interview. Learn from it all.
6. Plaster the town with your resume (or internet now day)
7. Have all your information ready when filling out applications (work history, references, education ect.)
8. WE ALL HAVE TO TAKE CRAPPY JOBS!
9. Crappy jobs build experience
10. Each experience builds onto the next job where you can climb higher.
11. Education is the key if you want the real doors to open
12. Paper gets you the interview, and experience is what gets you the job
13. Dont burn bridges (I know this sometimes has to happen, but the more bridges and connections you have the better)
14. Remember everyone you work with is a future job reference
15. Play the stupid game
16. If you hate the game, play the stupid game
17. It's just work
18. Do your job
19. Show up and show up on time (no extra interview points for showing up more than 10minutes early)
20. Relax, but show your future employer how enthusiastic you are to be working for them

MsPudding

And I think it's a horrible generalisation you just used there and you should therefore be ashamed of yourself. Theres plenty of us people who want to work, and indeed are working.

A generalisation it may be, but when in the UK you have organisations that represent business telling Government that what they're seeing on the ground is youngsters coming out of school and university even with chronic literacy and numeracy then that's a widespread problem. When they're telling Government that the educational system is turning out young people who simply aren't equipped with the basic skills to hold down a job then there's a big bloody issue.

The posts I hire for are graduate ones that start at the national average wage. The calibre of the average graduate I see is poor unfortunately. Many aren't articulate. Many haven't done even the most rudimentary research on the company. As said, written skills are often poor (and I test them in that area) and stress seems to factor highly - one found the interview too stressful and one we employed left after a couple of months citing stress because they found the job too difficult. The best ones I've taken on we're actually wiley kids with no degree but plenty of street smarts and who had a clearly demonstrated history of getting off thei backsides to make some opportunities for themselves.

In the UK at least there is a BIG problem in state schools with the way we're preparing kids for life. There seems to be no element of competition, an 'everyone's a winner' attitude and qualifications that rest so heavily on coursework (to avoid the 'stress') of exams that an A grade at GCSE has become meaningless to employers because everyone and his dog has them. If I had a child you can bet your backside I'd be sending them to private school where competition still thrives and they turn them out with far more life skills and job readiness.

Cliffslosinit

This should be in a Generalization group



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Amanojaku

Unfortunatlly it is near impossible to work your way up for the average human. Evidence in how many "poor" people there are to those in "middle class" and "rich". When humans make a decision they weight the risk vs reward of the situation. If the job you are looking at acomplishing provides to much risk and little reward then you will choose not to take that job, if you do you are unhappy about doing it. If you spend 32hours + working and can only afford part of the security needed (food, water, airable land, shelter, entertainment, health, retirment) then the risk is already to high and you will be unhappy. I know what your thinking, it is better to work and afford food and shelter at least to stay alive... and be miserable, and build frustrations that you take out on your family, loved ones.

incorrect talking points based on no data. you can not make any inference to job mobility or working the way up by looking at statistics that only show percentage of population in each income group. that says nothing about the individuals therein and mobility. people do not stay in the same income groups...even if average income never changes or even decreases


job mobility in the US at least is very high. Google the mobility statistics. looking at at statistics for income as data without a time element is meaningless. the majority of people defined as poor are no longer in that classification 8 years later. and alarge part of the top 10% moves to the median 8 years later. the middle class is even more fluid

So the 99% movment and the wide disparity gap between rich and poor is the data. The fact that most of the world is poor, if you just take the USA most of the population is considered poor. They talk about how the middle class has been declining because of this recession. Middle class is just another way of saying these people make enough money to provide there securities in life and buy crap that is not needed to fuel the economy.
Poor don't really add to the economy because they do not have money to buy useless crap, they are to busy spending it on trying to have a place to sleep. Its not enough so they take advantage of food stamp programs to feed themselves and still cannot afford health care. Talk to someone in these conditions they are not happy to live this way they are broken and given up on the idea of acheiving anything better.

The system is set up this way, people will work to survive screw there happiness we are indoctrinated into the whole "Well work harder, strive to be better its your fault your unhappy, The american dream" The ideal conditions to achieve this has already come and gone. Buisness is all about trying to limit there employee wages, benefits, taxes to increase profit for there company and themselves. It works against the interest of the people struggling to get out of being poor. (Great depression is an example of this being unbalanced)

Not everyone has the fortitude to push through and strive to reach there dreams. Especially when so much obstacles are stacked against them. "You are fat, so resolve the problem! exercise, diet" people know the problem but they don't all do it. Its simliar in how poor are. Its easier to just take advantage of the benefits and food stamps. Then to work a min wage job that doesn't pay the bills. Few jobs will give you the income to rise above with high school diploma.

So you go to college (which is a buisness) get a degree and are weighted down with huge tuition debt to add to a house, car, other bills for your needs. Soon you have to many people with degrees seeking the same jobs that pay good. If you can aquire the job it works out, but a lot are finding those jobs are not available already filled. In time i'm willing to bet those jobs will start paying less, as there are more stock of workers in the market competing for it. Years down the road you find many people who stuggle to pay there bills even with social security and retirments because of lack of or inability to save a nest egg over the years. That is just the way it is projecting for finance/work force. Can you find a way to get through all of this? Yes, but it is hard and complicated and not everyone can have there fair share, there cake on the current system. Rich rely on the poor to keep them rich, that is the truth today.

I ask everyone to reflect on how they grew up and how it shaped your way of thinking. Here is an example. Now if you were a child growing up in a family were your parents work a min wage job (poor) you see the hardship your parents go through. They will usualy be tired, complaining, frustrated, scared of projected future of paying bills, generally unhappy. Maybe you have a father who goes drinking to alievate his unhappiness after work, or tunes out everything watching television. Doesn't spend time with the wife or children. These are due to work, trying to bring entertainment in his life. He comes home your mother is constantly yelling at him, giving him reasons for why hes worthless. Due to not achieving basic securities for living to her its his fault they live poor he should be taking away all these bills and lack of securities. They don't have the love for each other anymore, maybe stuck in a partnership just to live, or have children.

A lot of people grow up in different enviroments and those cirmustances shape our lives. If you were a child in this type of situation you eventually have to make a choice on how you live your life. You would possibly see how tough life is and not want to go through what your parents go through? Some decide it is to tough and impossible, some try and feel trapped in there work situations becoming like there parents. Some might even find a way to provide these securities through it all and are praised as being succesful, while your brother who isn't feels bad about himself and seen as negative in his parents eyes, bring on the depression. So don't blame people for being lazy, or unresponsible. Blame the system of society that we grow up in.

This is why I suggest everyone youtube Jacque Fresco and learn about the Venus Project. It is a new way of how our society could be if we work together to achieve it. It will eliminate almost all the problems we are going through. thevenusproject.com

It is a resource based economy, were no one owns anything, there is no government, no police, no military, NO money which is the cause of almost all human problems.