Let's face it – it's not a great time for pretty much anyone in the working world. It's not a great time to be working in the public sector. It's not a great time to be a librarian. It's not a great time to be a teacher.
But the truth is, if it's not a great time to be working, it's certainly not a great time to be not working. And if you're a graduate looking for that crucial first step on the ladder of employment, then more's the pity for you.
Alarm bells started ringing in 2009 when analysts began to toss around the term "the lost generation", worrying what would become of those who would graduate in the middle of the recession. Fast forward two years to 2011 and the problem has been realised to devastating effect. The graduates of 2009, already in a tough position, have been joined by hundreds of thousands of equally hapless hopefuls from 2010. And they are all pushing and shoving for the chance of employment – any employment. In July 2010, a poll of employers warned that there were almost 70 applicants, on average, for each graduate vacancy. The same poll also found that nearly 78% of employers would not consider any graduate who did not possess a first or a 2:1 degree.
By this point, it is no exaggeration to say that graduates had well and truly begun to panic. Amid warnings to flip burgers rather than risk continued unemployment, and anecdotes of graduates walking the streets of the City with sandwich boards asking for work, the first strains of disillusionment began to set in. Why aren't there any jobs for graduates? Where have all the opportunities gone? What have I wasted all this money on?
And, most pertinently: Who are you calling a lost generation?
It's certainly an interesting piece of rhetoric. Managing to be both alarmist and defeatist, the phrase does no one any favours. It does a disservice to those who are struggling with such determination to find work for themselves and to those who are dedicating their own time and efforts to helping graduates. The "lost generation" implies a foregone conclusion, an accepted truth, with no opportunity for defence or explanations.
Most worryingly of all, the rhetoric moves the immediacy from the problem. A generation that is "lost" is already gone, and thus beyond help. The fact is that lamenting the existence of a lost generation is far easier than actually addressing the issues that have led to its purported reality. After all, what point is there in worrying over a lack of jobs for a generation already lost? A write-off of an entire generation is tragic, maybe, but there will be others to fill the gap.
Such reasoning is short-sighted and damaging. Those who are jobless and disillusioned – and this applies to non-graduates as well – must be the focus of attention for as long as it is necessary to begin to solve the problem. Because it can be solved. Any other eventuality will create a catastrophic gap in the market – not to mention the ever-increasing dole queues – which will reverberate for decades to come. If a graduate is jobless now, that's a problem, but if that same graduate is still jobless in 10 or even five years, then that is a tragedy.
So what can be done? Firstly, tweak the rhetoric. I previously suggested replacing "lost" for "disappointed", and I stand by that here. Disappointment is a disheartening emotion, but it is an impermanent one, easily remedied by due care and attention.
The simple act of acknowledging the problem as a present one is a small step that will go a long way in improving the mindset of the jobless graduate.
Secondly, the perception that businesses seem to have about hiring new graduates needs to shift in order to recognise the potential they possess rather than what they may lack in experience. To further motivate such a change, perhaps a tax break or a similar incentive could be awarded to companies that employ new graduates.
The government, too, could be doing more to encourage business enterprise among new graduates with advice, incentives and grants, perhaps in a more large-scale version of The Prince's Trust.
They could also tighten the legislation on internships, which have become so synonymous with free labour that it is easy to overlook just how valuable they can be to both graduates and employers.
It would be simple to put in place restrictions to monitor this, such as fixed-term internships only, guaranteed subsistence wages or expenses, and a form of certification at the internship's close.
The "big society", which has so polarised public opinion, could play a part here, if the government chose to direct its efforts away from simple rhetoric and actually focused on an often-sidelined group such as new graduates. Given positive reasons to take part, unemployed graduates could actually become the vanguards of the project.
Most of all, the government needs to enter into a dialogue with new graduates, instead of merely talking about them. The complete absence of dialogue is a large part of the growing disconnect. Just asking the simple question: "How can we help you?" would be a start. Because, yes, we are all in this together.
You can find Sara on Twitter: @saramegan
