For years, young people have been told a familiar story: work hard, get a degree, and success will follow. This idea has encouraged millions to invest time, money, and energy into education. But for many, especially in the UK, that promise is no longer being kept.

The Graduate Job Struggle

Today, many graduates are struggling to find work—not just jobs in their field, but any job at all. Some are even turned away from supermarkets or warehouse roles because they’re seen as overqualified or a risky hire. The issue goes beyond job shortages; it reflects a deeper problem with the link between education and employment.

More people than ever are graduating, but the number of good jobs hasn’t kept up. As a result, young people are competing for fewer opportunities, and many end up working in jobs that don’t require a degree at all.

A Changing Labour Market

In the UK, the job market has become more competitive and less forgiving. Employers now look for “employability”—a mix of soft skills, flexibility, and professionalism. But even graduates who work hard to become employable through internships, networking, and upskilling still struggle to get hired.

This is partly due to:

• Too many graduates: More people have degrees, but there aren’t enough jobs that match their qualifications.
• Automation and technology: Some entry-level jobs are disappearing due to technology or being managed by hiring algorithms that filter out candidates unfairly.
• Economic pressure on businesses: Rising costs and tighter margins mean fewer new hires and limited career development opportunities.

The Bigger Picture

Government efforts like the “Get Britain Working” plan and the youth guarantee scheme aim to help young people with training and apprenticeships. But these don’t do much for those already out of school and struggling to find meaningful work.

About 987,000 young people in the UK are currently not in education, employment, or training (NEET). The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have made things worse, especially for those aged 16 to 24.

Policy vs. Reality

The government is trying to make work more secure by introducing new laws and rights for workers. But these changes could backfire if businesses respond by cutting jobs or avoiding young, inexperienced hires.

Young people are expected to be job-ready, yet the system often shuts them out—even when they meet all the requirements.

What Needs to Change

To truly support young people, we need a shared effort from employers, universities, and the government. Here’s what could help:

• Create more entry-level jobs designed to help young people gain experience.
• Use fairer hiring practices, such as blind recruitment and diverse hiring panels.
• Incentivise companies to hire and train young people.
• Forge partnerships between universities and employers so that education matches what the job market needs.
• Use digital tools like apps and AI to guide young people in building careers.
• Address inequalities based on class, race, location, and education background.

A Shared Responsibility

The idea that education leads to opportunity should not be abandoned—it should be strengthened. But that will only happen if we treat education as more than just a path to a job. It should also be seen as a key part of building a fair, thoughtful, and inclusive society.

To fix the system, we must stop putting all the pressure on young people and start sharing the responsibility—across schools, workplaces, and government.