Negative attitudes of young people in the UK are closing doors to jobs, according to two surveys commissioned by London youth charity Futureversity asking young people about barriers to employment.

Young people say that schools are not giving them confidence or skills to succeed, employers have a negative attitude towards them, and the Government simply isn’t listening and doesn’t care about their plight.

The surveyreveals how a chasm has emerged between young people and their aspirations, with most (53%) saying that they cannot afford to go to university and many (63%) saying that they will not achieve their career ambitions.

Disturbingly nearly nine out of ten young people (86%) say that politicians do not understand young people or want to help.

The poll of over 1,000 16 – 25 year olds, living in London, reveals as many as 64% say that employers and business are not positive towards helping them, with the majority (60%) saying they feel doors are closed when looking for jobs.

This lack of job prospects and absence of support to redirect the newly unemployed is triggering new levels of anxiety amongst young people, with nearly two out of five feeling stressed and nervous about jobs and their future, and the majority (57%) worried they will get stuck in jobs below their aspirations and goals.

A separate ComRes poll of over 2,000 British adults shows the vast majority (85%) of people recognising it is much harder now than it used to be for young people, yet one in four (27%) Britons think young people are lazy, with one in three describing young people they know as lacking communication skills.

The findings also show a gulf between young people today and those of 20 years ago, and that many institutions including government, business, media and the police have negative views of young people, with more than half saying these groups in particular hold negative views.

The findings come at a crucial time: the number of young people on Jobseekers Allowance in London has gone up by 248 percent in the last twelve months and the Government is considering how to respond to Darra Singh’s review following the riots of last summer which said young people are ‘failed by the system’ and recommended that schools, councils and the police do more to help young people.

Piloted as a crime prevention initiative in Tower Hamlets in 1995, Futureversity offers free courses to help young people develop key skills and self belief.

Today, the charity is calling for the government to look again at what more can be done to support 16 – 25 year olds into employment.

Futureversity chief executive, Sarah Davies, said: “Young people today are disillusioned and worried about the future. Many cannot afford to go to university and feel stigmatised by employers. This is a generation that is crying out for more help and support, yet they do not believe that our politicians and employers are listening.

"When our survey also shows most agree young people are our biggest hope of getting out of economic turmoil - we need to do more to help them develop skills and get on-the-job training because without this we could face an even bigger youth employment crisis in future.”

Despite the gloomy outlook, the Futureversity surveys also reveal how the overwhelming majority of young people want to overcome these barriers, with 93% saying that they are determined to succeed in finding the right job.

Futureversity co-founder and patron, Bethnal Green & Bow MP, Rushanara Ali said: “This is not the lazy generation that many make out, if anything young people now have to work harder and be more determined than ever before because of the obstacles in their way. We should not be content for young people to have their horizons limited by the low expectations and negative attitudes of many, including the government.

"As seen through our survey, low aspirations about young people, when reflected more widely, are making it nearly impossible for them to navigate their way through an employment system that feels stacked-up against them.

"Worryingly, evidence tells us anti-social behaviour is often most marked in communities experiencing high unemployment and low self esteem. When London has seen numbers of young people on Jobseekers Allowance increase dramatically now is the time to give them more opportunities.”

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