Too many young people are dropping out of education early, without the skills and qualifications needed to start careers, a new report has warned.
Almost 25% of young people who left school after GCSEs, are not employed, in education or training. This percentage drops to 8.4% for 15-29 year-olds who entered further or higher education.
Although they are spending less time in education, figures show that people aged 15 to 29 spend an average of 2.3 years unemployed. This compares with 1.3 years in Norway and 1.1 years in the Netherlands.
Young people without qualifications have a tougher time finding jobs – and the economic crash has widened the gap between those with qualifications and those without, according to the OECD. While unemployment rates rose across the board between 2000 and 2011, people with fewer qualifications were the worst hit.
In the UK, almost half of people between 15 and 19 leave education. The report said: "Once compulsory schooling is over and youngsters reach 18 years of age, only 34% of them are enrolled in secondary education while 27% are enrolled in tertiary education."
Neil Carberry, director of employment and skills at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said: "We're facing a critical lack of skills in key sectors, which risks holding back long-term growth. UK competitiveness relies on a highly skilled workforce, so we cannot afford to waste talent."
Charlie Ball, deputy director of research at HECSU, said: "It's not been a great jobs market for graduates, but it's been far worse if you don't have those qualifications. Higher qualifications only open doors for you – they don't close them. And in the jobs market, you need as many options available to you as you can get.
"But it's always a case of trying to get the right qualification for you. For example, it's all very well saying it's good to get vocational qualifications, but that doesn't necessarily mean there will be a job available that fits your interests."
He said that the erosion of lower-skilled but good quality work had left many people with limited career options. "The process of technological change, and the change in emphasis in the UK away from nanufacturing in favour of the services industry, has not been kind to people with low skills.
But he added: "We have to be realistic about what young people really understand about the jobs market. Is it really appropriate to expect young people to make life-changing choices about their careers at 16 years old? We have to accept that it's the responsibility of everybody to help support young people making good quality career choices – and the tell them it's ok not to be sure."
Brett Wicks, a National Careers Service adviser, said: "Young people might be under a misapprehension that they don't need these qualifications. But it's not the case these days – they do need them. It's not that young people aren't bothered – you can't tar everyone with that brush. People are bothered, but whereas maybe 20 years ago you didn't need qualifications for certain jobs, you do now."
Women still earn less than male counterparts
Women in the UK still earn far less than men – even when they have the same qualifications and training. Data from the OECD showed that women are much more likely to be paid less than the average wage. Nearly 65% of women earn less than the median worker in the UK, compared to 38% of men.
Women in the UK can expect to earn no more than 69% of the salaries of men with similar qualifications.
The report follows a separate study published this year, which found that women earned up to £9,000 less than men with the same degree. The research team behind that report said: "Patterns of subject choices remain stubbornly gendered even though female participation in higher education has grown more rapidly than for males and, on average, women's entry qualifications surpass those of men.
"What is harder to understand is the persistence of the gender pay gap among graduates. This remains effectively unchanged from the situation in the 1990s. Certain professions, notably law, remain male-dominated and show limited results from any efforts they have made to ensure greater equality of opportunity."
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