The quest for sustainable employment: Challenges faced by young people during the job‐search process

Abstract

Young people who are unable to find and sustain employment are at risk for long-term social and economic exclusion.Active labour market policies (ALMPs) addressing the problem of youth unemployment have focused on building the employability skills of young job seekers to expand their employment opportunities. Yet research exploring how young people navigate the job-search process is limited.Drawing on interviews with young Australian job seekers and their employment consultants, this article addresses the questions of how young people navigate entry into employment through the job-search process and what challenges they face. The study revealed three common frustrations experienced by the young people during their job-search: employers' expectations of relevant work experience in the young person's preferred occupation, being required to apply for jobs not aligned with their career aspirations, and the impact of personal factors on their ability to confidently present themselves to prospective employers. The findings highlight the need for ALMPs and employers to facilitate positive employability support mechanisms that will build a stable platform from which young people can build a trajectory towards sustainable employment to reduce long-term youth unemployment.

Youth Aspirations and Expectations of Economic Recovery of Jammu and Kashmir in India after Abrogation of Article 370

“…Youth unemployment is pervasive worldwide due to lack of skills, work experience, job search abilities, and financial resources (Moore, 2019). India is no exception in rising youth unemployment.…”

Making pathways? A mixed methods analysis of young women who have left school early in ‘the new work order’

“…She has a certificate in hair-dressing and had applied for jobs in this field as well but without any luck and had therefore broadened her search. She described the challenge that most participants faced: their lack of 'experience': Jennie's story is illustrative of many of the participants, who find that the key thing which employers value is previous 'experience' in a given sector (see also Moore 2019). This means that the main challenge and focus becomes getting a job -and thereby experience to put on the CV, as a stepping stone for the next job -rather than getting a 'good' job.…”

“…Jennie's story is illustrative of many of the participants, who find that the key thing which employers value is previous 'experience' in a given sector (see also Moore, 2019). This means that the main challenge and focus becomes getting a job -and thereby experience to put on the CV, as a stepping stone for the next job -rather than getting a 'good' job.…”