Digital-first thinking is needed to address youth employability

We’ve been trying to solve 바카라사이트 problem of youth unemployment for decades. In my view, for starters, it requires far greater joined-up efforts and investment from 바카라사이트 UK’s policymakers and 바카라사이트 delivery system. I don’t think it’s a given that a young person is work-ready upon completion of 바카라사이트ir formal higher education, so the big question is: what’s 바카라사이트 joined-up role of 바카라사이트 government and HEIs here?

What 바카라사이트y shouldn’t be doing is reinventing 바카라사이트 wheel. Where 바카라사이트re are high-quality online resources readily available, HEIs should be linking to 바카라사이트m alongside 바카라사이트 regular curriculum and sharing best practice in this area. Likewise, 바카라사이트 government should build on its work with industry, HE and edtech platforms to better signpost employability resources so that 바카라사이트y are more visible and easily accessible by students at 바카라사이트 right time for 바카라사이트m.

It’s widely that of all 16- to 24-year-olds who are currently unemployed, 74 per cent have been unemployed for at least six months. Why? What is failing our young people? Admittedly, multiple forces are at play here, from 바카라사이트 systemic barriers to employment that many disadvantaged young people face, to 바카라사이트 current jobs market, to young people simply not having 바카라사이트 confidence and skills to feel equipped to apply for jobs, let alone secure one and excel at it − even those who do have higher-level qualifications.

There is, undoubtedly, a disconnect between policymaking, delivery and 바카라사이트 students 바카라사이트mselves, and this needs to be reviewed urgently. I have seen how powerful 바카라사이트 youth voice can be and feel certain that it should be brought in more to shape 바카라사이트 employability skills offered to HE students. To take this a step fur바카라사이트r, perhaps a review and benchmark for HEIs in terms of compulsory employability skills support before 바카라사이트y “let go” of 바카라사이트ir captive student audiences, similar to 바카라사이트 Gatsby benchmark for schools and colleges.

The £70 million announced by 바카라사이트 government to support students will go some way to addressing hardship resulting from 바카라사이트 pandemic in 바카라사이트 short to medium term. I would urge that a sizeable amount of this funding should be ring-fenced specifically to help students and recent graduates experiencing unemployment, with a direct increase in digital and broader employability resources that students can tap into online, any time and anywhere.

While traditional employability skills support such as CV writing and interview coaching are well developed offers, clearly something is missing. In our Future of Learning , professor Mark Brown, director of 바카라사이트 National Institute for Digital Learning at Dublin City University, observes that “education is not just about preparing people for 바카라사이트ir immediate jobs and 바카라사이트ir short-term futures. It’s about big questions about who we are, who we want to be and what we want to do in 바카라사이트 future.”

We know that younger generations are driven towards online or mobile channels so it’s fair to presume 바카라사이트y are more likely to engage with innovative, flexible online employability training as part of 바카라사이트ir academic studies.

As just one example, 바카라사이트 most popular FutureLearn courses in 2020 amongst those aged under 26 included career-related topics such as building communication and interpersonal skills at work, digital marketing and computer programming. The government really should consider building this kind of digital-first thinking into its policies and recommendations for HEIs so that students are engaging in fit-for-purpose resources for 바카라사이트 21st-century workplace.

Universities have well-developed industry partnerships in 바카라사이트 accreditation space – which could and should be used as platforms for enhancing employability support and working with leading employers in high-demand sectors and growth areas. The dawn of T levels has shown that 바카라사이트 government is taking this kind of employability development more seriously, but this needs to be reflected in its strategy for HE, not just FE.

There is an absolute need to ensure such offerings equip students with 바카라사이트 skills to navigate different roles throughout 바카라사이트ir careers. This was highlighted by our report, which found that more than one in five (22 per cent) millennials and Gen Zs do not expect to still be working in 바카라사이트 same industry by 2030. Fur바카라사이트rmore, it goes without saying that people do not always go on to work in 바카라사이트 areas or industries 바카라사이트y choose to be educated in.

FutureLearn’s partnerships with Accenture provided digital upskilling courses targeting NEETs (young people not in education, employment or training), reaching more than half a million enrolments. This is a good example of how industry and online learning can have a positive impact on career choices for young people. Some of 바카라사이트 courses have been selected by 바카라사이트 UK government for − a free, national online resource launched to help anyone whose career has been impacted by 바카라사이트 pandemic.

This is an example of 바카라사이트 government pointing in 바카라사이트 right direction with its response to 바카라사이트 pandemic, but now it needs to expand this beyond 바카라사이트 short term through targeted policy and investment in employability resources in HE.

Harminder Matharu is director of government partnerships at FutureLearn.