Blog – Latest stories

Study of 80K British Teenagers Reveals More Than 1 in 4 Have ‘No Idea’ What They Want To Do In the Future

New research carried out on more than 80,000 15 to 18 year olds by the leading website for school and college leavers has revealed that more than a quarter still have ‘no idea’ what they want to do once their compulsory education finishes. The study also indicated that less than one quarter of those polled are considering university as an option; with apprenticeships, college and gap years all popular choices.

An extensive new study of British teenagers has given an insight into how 15-18 year olds feel about their further education or career options, as well as how much advice and information they’ve been exposed to about apprenticeships as a viable choice.

The team behind www.notgoingtouni.co.uk, a website dedicated to spreading awareness of the opportunities that exist outside of university, carried out the research on a total of 81,569 year 11-13 students from around the UK. Each participant was aged 15-18 years old, with the gender breakdown of the study worked out as 50.8% male and 49.2% female. The study took place over a period of 15 months, as part of a tour of UK schools and those considering their post-16 options.

Participants were firstly asked to imagine their future, after being posed the question ‘Do you know what the perfectly happy you from the future does?’ the majority of students (45.1%) stated ‘I have a good idea but I can’t see how to do it’ with 27.1% saying ‘I know absolutely’ and 27.7% having ‘no idea’.

When asked who they were most likely to go to when in need of career advice, the majority (34.9%) said 'parents', with 18% stating they would seek the help of a careers advisor and 22% declaring that they ‘would not need any help’. More than half of students (51.9%) would ideally like career advice given to them ‘face to face’, with more than a third (36.6%) preferring ‘online advice’.

Respondents were next instructed to reveal to researchers what routes they were currently considering for themselves once they had left school, with the option of giving more than one answer if applicable. Answers emerged as follows:

University- 24.2%

College- 17.7%

Apprenticeship (a job with training) – 14.5%

Gap year- 13.3%

Job (may or may not have training)- 12.0%

Set up own business- 7.8%

Not sure – 6.2%

Traineeship- 4.3%

Those students considering university were asked to reveal the main reasons behind this decision, with 28.7% believing that it would offer ‘a better chance of a higher paying job’, 17.6% stating that they thought university was the ‘best environment for learning’ and 16.4% wanting to go ‘to experience the social life’.

Finally, students were quizzed on apprenticeships. When given a list of answers and asked to choose which best described their attitudes towards apprenticeship schemes, responses were as follows:

An Apprenticeship is a good way to progress onto higher education- 45.5%

Apprenticeships are for people who have no academic skills- 27.3%

Apprenticeships are not for me – 20.3%

Apprenticeships are for people who want to drop out of school early- 7.0%

Sharon Walpole, CEO of notgoingtouni.co.uk, made the following comments regarding the findings of the study:

“Asking such a huge number of young Britons their thoughts and opinions on their future career paths was always going to bring up some interesting results. It is particularly noteworthy that less than a quarter of the 80,000 youngsters polled currently feel as though university is a viable option for them, something which is most likely due to the media attention surrounding the expensive nature of studying for a degree.”

“It’s also very positive to see that almost half of the students realise an apprenticeship is a good, and more cost effective, way to help them progress to higher education, but worrying to see how many wrongly believe they are only useful for people who have no academic skills or want to drop out of school early. Apprenticeships are far more beneficial than a degree for many reasons; you're earning whilst learning, the hands-on experience is invaluable and a lot of the time you're guaranteed a job with the company you've been training with at the end.”

Volunteers across the UK are being thanked for their efforts as part of a range of events to mark Volunteers’ Week 2015 which runs from 1 to 7 June.
Charities, community groups and other organisations are holding events to thank their volunteers for the contribution they make. Events will include awards ceremonies, barbecues, roadshows and tea parties. Last year almost 500 events were held across the country.

The annual campaign, established in 1984, seeks to recognise the contribution millions of volunteers make to our communities every week and showcase opportunities available for people to get involved. This year, for the first time, volunteers are encouraged to share their stories and experiences on social media using the hashtag #ivolunteer, to raise awareness and encourage others to participate.

More than 15m people volunteer in the UK every month. They lend their time and talents to causes as varied as food banks, libraries and hospitals. The UK Civil Society Almanac, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) data base, shows that between 2012 and 2013 volunteering contributed an estimated £23.9bn to the UK economy, equivalent to 1.5 per cent of Gross Domestic Product.

Justin Davis Smith, executive director of volunteering and development at NCVO, coordinators of Volunteers’ Week in England, said:

‘Volunteers’ Week is the perfect opportunity to recognise volunteers who give their time, energy and enthusiasm to helping others. This week of events across the country will show people how much the contribution of volunteers is valued.

‘Last year saw the 30 year anniversary of Volunteers’ Week celebrations. It highlighted how rich our history of social action really is. No one is better at talking about the contribution of volunteers than volunteers themselves. This year we are asking people to talk about the causes they care about, share motivations for volunteering, and encourage others to think about getting involved by using the hashtag #ivolunteer.

‘Volunteering is a way to give something back. It is also an opportunity for volunteers to benefit from new experiences, make friends, gain skills and have fun. There has been a rise in recent years in flexible volunteering, so that even people without the time to commit to a regular activity can get involved.

‘We hope that this Volunteers’ Week you will join us in saying thank you to everyone who volunteers.’

Build awareness of mental health issues during Mental Health Awareness Week - 11-17 May

In less than two weeks, the Mental Health Foundation will be marking Mental Health Awareness Week (11-17 May).

The week provides an opportunity to stimulate debate and discussion around public mental health and the measures that individuals can proactively take to improve their own mental health. Previous years have focused on anxiety, loneliness and the impact of physical activity on mental health. This year, they will be highlighting the practice of mindfulness.

Mindfulness is a positive response to the pressures of everyday life. It is not a cure for serious mental health problems, but there is a growing body of evidence that it can help many people reduce stress and anxiety, and can also help prevent recurrent depression. During the week the Mental Health Foundation will be drawing attention to the evidence that now underpins the practice of mindfulness and highlight case studies of individuals who have benefited from incorporating mindfulness into their daily lives.

More specifically:

The Mental Health Foundation will be re-launching its popular BeMindful.co.uk website

They will be publishing an authoritative survey of people’s awareness of mindfulness, and more broadly on public levels of stress, anxiety and depression

There will be a host of events taking place throughout the UK from read-a-thons to flash mobs, as individual supporters mark their commitment to promoting good mental health

Want to know all about Mindfulness and how you can get involved with Mental Health Awareness Week 2015? Find out everything you need to know including receiving your supporter pack and registering your event by visiting the Mental Health Foundation website