Why it is vital that ambitious young people are given the opportunity to get on in life - Ismail Mulla

Over the past couple of weeks the dye will have been cast for many young people when it comes to their immediate future. Last week, thousands of students received their A-Levels and yesterday thousands of children were either celebrating or being commiserated following their GCSE results.

A lot has been made about the challenges that this generation has faced when it comes to their journey through the education system. Lockdown, a mental health crisis, the pernicious impact of smartphones.

However, I fear that for many of these young people worse is to come. The A-level results showed that despite the stereotype applied by older generations that young people are layabouts interested in only studying humanities, a lot of them are actually invested in their future. That is borne out by the fact that maths was the most popular subject at A-level.

Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at the University of Exeter, said: “More than ever, young people are asking a simple question: where will the opportunities be? In a world of rising living costs, student debt and AI, they want confidence that their investment of time and money will lead to a fulfilling and secure career.”

But what comes next for them will not only dictate their futures but also the futures of generations to come. The rising number of young people Not in Education, Employment, or Training (Neets) is not an accident.

Wages across the board have been suppressed yet the cost of living has continued to go up.

The lesson that young people have derived from the experience of Millenials in particular is that if you work hard enough, you may one day have enough to rent a place of your own and not have to share a house with four other people.

What is meant by working hard is that if you’re willing to juggle three or four jobs across all seven days of the week. One of the most toxic things to have been foisted upon people is the so-called hustle culture. Encouraging young people to take on side jobs in the hope that one day they will be able to build their wealth.

That is why we shouldn't be surprised to see other youngsters opting to sit at home on the dole that work themselves into the ground for little to nothing in return.

Millennials were told to cut down on lattes and avocado and you might be able to buy a house. But even the luxuries of lattes and avocado require a mortgage and I don’t think Millenials have the credit rating for those.

But back to the new crop of young talent looking to head out into the big open world. A lot of them are clearly bright if the recent A-level results are anything to go by. But as talented as they may be, that will be worth nothing if these young people are not afforded the opportunities that they are worthy of.

The job market is broken. It’s not just low pay but also the expectations attached to vacancies. Some employers are demanding years of experience for entry level positions.

And as the economic situation continues to get tougher, other more experienced candidates are taking on these roles. In turn taking away that vital first big step on the job ladder.

Then there is the potential impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI). There are some that will feel that this is a fad that will surely fade and in some instances AI is already being pared back.

But it is clear that AI is beginning to percolate through a number of industries. Few jobs can claim to be completely AI proof, especially previously aspirational white collar industries.

You hear of horror stories of how people with the right skills are hired to train AI platforms and then summarily replaced by said AI platform. Platforms like LinkedIn are awash with adverts for people to come and train AI.

While the tech bros lick their lips at the prospect of making more money than ever with little reliance on human capital, it raises an important question for society. Where do all the unemployed people go?

There are only so many blue collar jobs to absorb rising unemployment and Britain is unlikely to ever recapture the halcyon days of manufacturing given the developing world’s ability to mass produce at much cheaper rates.

Unless an answer is found, a feeling of helplessness will set in and young people in the future will be asking ‘what’s the point?’

One generation has already been failed, Britain can ill-afford to fail successive generations. Especially when these young people are doing what has been asked of them.