YOUNG PEOPLE SEEK ADVENTURE TO COMBAT “BAD” JOBS MARKET

23rd April 2014

Thousands of young people are jetting abroad in search of adventure amid serious concerns over the state of the British jobs market.

Among those aged 18 to 30 going overseas to work, 43 per cent say they are seeking adventure, 21 per cent aspire to work abroad and 36 per cent had simply had enough of Britain.

One of the main reasons for the exodus abroad among young people was the continuing poor state of the jobs market with more than half (54 per cent) describing it as “bad”.

The research, carried out by youth travel and work organisation Smaller Earth UK, went on to highlight how just 28 per cent thought the current UK jobs situation to be “good”.

Smaller Earth UK placed over 6,000 young adults on its Camp Leaders programme in the United States in 2013, an increase of almost 20 per cent on the previous year.

The organisation is also seeing growing interest in other parts of the world, with a 243 per cent rise in the number of applications from people to work as au pairs in China. Other countries in which Smaller Earth UK operates include Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Czech Republic and Vietnam.

The survey of 1000 young people aged 18-30 highlighted how 65 per cent had a clear idea about their future career, but felt that the opportunity to work and travel overseas would enhance their prospects of competing in the employment market.

Smaller Earth UK Chief Executive Bastian Weinberger said: “We know from the increasing number of applicants we are seeing that young people continue to have serious concerns about the opportunities available to them in Britain.

“They are therefore grabbing with both hands the chance to work and travel abroad to improve their prospects of securing jobs in the future, either overseas or in the UK.

“It is also the case that the continuing uncertainty of the UK jobs market is driving many people aged 18-30 to go off in search of a great adventure.

“Young people are far more global in their outlook these days so the idea of travelling or working abroad holds few fears. It is also a lot cheaper to travel abroad than was the case a few years ago.”

The Smaller Earth UK survey confirmed this with 89 per cent of respondents saying they had no concerns about their safety travelling abroad.

All of those gaining placements on the Camp Leaders programme for 2014 said they intended to use the opportunity to travel around the United States when their placement was finished.

See web sites
www.smallerearth.com
www.campleaders.com