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22 Jan 2020
Leisure sectors attracting five times as many young people as there are jobs available
By Tom Walker
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Five times as many young people want to work in sport as there are jobs available.
Photo: Shutterstock
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Five times as many young people want to work in leisure sectors such as sport, arts, culture and entertainment as there are jobs available.
The figure comes from a major report published by charity Education and Employers, which suggests that a number of industry sectors – including those within leisure – could have the pick of talent due to an abundance of applicants.
The report, based on a survey of 7,000 young people aged 14-18, does, however, also indicate that the aspirations of young people in the UK are poles apart from the reality of the labour market, with significant implications for the economy.
While some sectors are "oversubscribed" with young people wanting to work in it, many others will face a struggle to fill all available jobs with homegrown talent.
The sector with the greatest shortfall in interest is also within leisure. Only 1.5 per cent of young UK people are currently showing an interest in a career in hospitality, catering and accommodation, while the sector needs almost seven times as many students (9.7 per cent of the workforce) to fill all the current vacancies.
The report claims that the findings show there is a "disconnect between aspirations and demand in almost half of UK sectors" – due to the aspirations of young people in the UK being poles apart from the reality of the labour market.
This, the report says, will have "significant implications for the economy".
According to John Yarham, CEO of The Careers & Enterprise Company, the disconnect could be down to young people not realising the full opportunities offered by the sectors they seemingly dislike.
"As the research shows, the more young people meet with real people in real jobs the more options they have about their own career paths," Yarham said.
"It confirms an abiding truth – you can’t be what you can’t see.
“This study demonstrates that connecting young people with employers opens their eyes to the real opportunities of the job market and guides them to make more informed choices.
"It reinforces the vital importance of the concerted and collective effort to ensure our young people meet with a rich and diverse range of people from the world of work to enhance their prospects and life chances.”
• To read the full Disconnected; Career aspirations and jobs in the UK report, click here.
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