There is no doubt that the impact of this pandemic will be with us for some time and there is ample evidence that it has deepened the pre-existing inequalities in our society. Perhaps more than other groups, young people have been disproportionately affected in terms of their learning and wellbeing, and because many were working in the sectors, such as retail and hospitality, most affected by the lockdowns.  

It would be a mistake, though, to fall into the trap of thinking that young people are victims. It is so much more complex than that, with many definitely severely disrupted in their learning or career and yet some thriving in a more self-directed virtual learning environment. Understanding these differences and how the further education sector needs to respond is an important part of our work at the Association of Colleges. 

I was delighted, therefore, to join the new Pearson Forum, chaired by former skills minister Anne Milton, which will probe those different impacts and the widening post-Covid inequalities through a series of themed evidence sessions. If the first session is anything to go by, it looks like we are going to spend time with passionate and knowledgeable people helping us to learn more and think about the solutions needed to address the inequalities.

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The focus of the first session was how to ensure that young people are equipped with the opportunities and skills needed to enter the labour market and to progress in their lives and succeed in their own way. We had three superb witnesses: Naomi Clayton, deputy director for research and development at the Learning and Work Institute; Annabel May, a young level 3 business administration apprentice at the New Schools Network (placed by Multiverse); and Dr Hugh Rayment-Pickard, chief strategy officer and co-founder of IntoUniversity, an education charity that supports students from disadvantaged backgrounds to obtain a university place.

Supporting young people to develop the skills that employers want

I took away three big themes: how impressive young people are; the urgent need for action; and how much more is needed to join up support for young people and for employers. 

Annabel pointed to the need to help young people develop the confidence to speak to employers and to build networks in a world that is new to them and to appreciate the skills they have that employers do value. More than anything else, perhaps, she talked about the need to develop a self-confidence that you have the personal capacity to be able to achieve things. 

The second theme for me was the need for urgent action. Our witnesses were clear that the evidence shows how young people have borne the brunt of this crisis. They account for the majority of those who have lost their jobs, with young black people being particularly affected. With those sectors that employ large numbers of young people likely to see a slower recovery post-pandemic, we heard a lot about the potential long-term scarring effect of youth unemployment. A March 2021 report from Learning and Work Institute and the Prince’s Trust found that youth unemployment will remain high, even once the economy recovers at a cost, in terms of lower tax revenue and higher benefit spending, forecast to be £2.9 billion in 2022.  

The third theme was about the need to join up services for young people and employers at a national and at a local level. There are opportunities for young people, but they are not necessarily visible to those who need them the most and many employers are confused by the learning and employment programmes on offer. Both, therefore, find it difficult to navigate the system.

That’s why the key message in the Skills for Jobs White Paper of challenging college leaders to be local systems leaders and to be ambitious for their students, employer partners and communities is so important. Young people, wherever they’re accessing the system, need to be signposted to additional information and support to create a “no wrong door” approach that can support them for as long as they need it. And the vocational, non-graduate route for young people needs to be better understood and made simple for employers, who could benefit from ambitious and talented young people.  

Young people deserve support and opportunities to show their talents and in every community there are organisations and resources that can help. Joining them up is vital to make the system simpler and to ensure that nobody is left behind. I know colleges will step into this space and many others will work with them to help build back better and fairer.

David Hughes is chief executive of the Association of Colleges