Students would rather focus on studies than work

A new report from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) entitled The death of the Saturday job: the decline in earning and learning amongst young people in the UK reveals that the number of 16 and 17 year old students who work part time has halved. In 2014, only 18 per cent of young people combine studies and work experience compared to 42 per cent in 1996.

The report revealed that the number of young people participating in full-time education has increased from 2.1 million in 1996 to 3.2 million in 2014  but the part-time jobs that are suitable for students, such as those in the retail, hotels and restaurant sectors, have fallen from 2.43 million in 2002 to 2.40 million in 2014. Although there is a lack of jobs for students the report found that 55 per cent of young people surveyed identified “their desire to concentrate on their studies” as the main reason for deciding not to combine work with study.

Dame Fiona Kendrick, Chairman & CEO of Nestle UK and Ireland and Commissioner at UKCES commented: “It seems that young people are actively shunning the idea of working while studying, as the fear of not doing well pervades our society. Yet this could be a short-sighted tactic, as we know from employers that experience of the world of work is their number one ‘ask’ when recruiting. This means that millions of young people are lacking the experience of the world of work that will help them find jobs in the future. Work is important. Studies are important. But one should not preclude the other. It’s about getting a good balance to give yourself the best chance.”

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