‘They’re anxious about everything’: life for young people seeking work in Dudley and Lewisham

In a report on the soaring number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (Neet) released in May, Dudley was highlighted for its extremely high level of youth unemployment. The number of Neets and “not knowns” in the area was 21.5%, significantly higher than the national average of 5.6%. Most London boroughs, even those with similar deprivation rates, have Neet rates around 2-4%. Of the 10 English local authorities with the highest proportion of Neets, eight were in the north or Midlands.

Challenges Facing Young Job Seekers

• Limited local job opportunities: Dudley has a job density of 0.60, meaning there are fewer local jobs than working-age residents. In contrast, London’s job density is 1.06.
• Poor transport links: Many young people rely on buses, but routes to nearby cities like Birmingham (10 miles away) can take up to two hours, making commuting impractical.
• Lack of experience: Many entry-level roles require experience that young people often lack, creating a barrier to employment.
• High competition: In areas like London, competition for jobs is fierce, with many young people struggling to secure roles without personal connections.
• Mental health and social barriers: Dudley’s youth face high levels of anxiety, neurodiversity, and other vulnerabilities that hinder their ability to engage in work or education.
• Funding cuts: The West Midlands has seen an 88% real-terms cut in youth service expenditure between 2011 and 2022, the lowest per capita spend for 5-to-17-year-olds in England at £25.74.

Local Initiatives and Support

• Dudley Council conducted door-to-door outreach to over 600 households to better understand the challenges faced by young people, reducing the “not known” Neet figure and providing clearer data.
• Cranstoun, a social harm reduction charity, runs one of the last remaining youth clubs in Dudley, offering support for young people at risk of exclusion or substance use.
• Elevate 100 in Lewisham (London) provides careers advice, CV writing tips, and youth leadership programs for 16-to-25-year-olds.

Voices from the Community

Dejanae, a 19-year-old animal science graduate from Dudley, struggles to find local jobs, often seeing roles outside her area that are inaccessible due to transport issues. Callum, a 20-year-old from Dudley, has applied for over 1,000 jobs in four years but finds most roles require experience he doesn’t have.

In London, Kiara Kataike, a 25-year-old microbiology graduate, notes that many companies are cutting jobs rather than hiring, while Whitney, a 30-year-old business studies graduate, highlights the growing expectation to work for free in fields like marketing and social media.

Angela Brown, who manages youth leadership at Elevate 100, describes the London job market as the toughest she’s ever seen but acknowledges that the situation is even more dire outside the capital.