Street League steps up support amid Covid-19
Covid-19 changed everything for Street League - the way we work, our staff, partners, and young people. At an event we hosted, we heard from Maja Gustafsson, a researcher at the Resolution Foundation - an independent think-tank focused on improving the living standards for those on low to middle income.
How Covid-19 is affecting young people
Maja shared the Foundation’s research on the impact of the current crisis on young people and their long-term career prospects:
18-24 year olds have seen less pay during lockdown than those who are older and more established in the job market.
Young people are the least likely to be able to work from home, and more likely to work in less secure employment including temporary work and zero hour positions. These are the kind of workers that employers let go of first.
In a crisis, finding work becomes even harder – there’s fewer jobs, so the chances of gaining employment are reduced.
When people left education during the lockdown period, the sectors that tend to employ young people were the ones closed. In the first few years, these sectors are very important as the first steps in people’s careers.
Short spells of unemployment increase your chances of being unemployed in the future - if there is an economic crisis early on in someone’s career it is more likely that there will be unemployment and long-term scarring.
People with degrees see a sooner recovery, whereas young people with lower level qualifications see a longer impact and we see a scarring even 10 years later.
[quote] For every 10 people who would have found employment leaving school in economically ‘healthy’ years, only 6 will find employment during this crisis.
- Maja Gustafsson (Researcher, The Resolution Foundation)
Street League launches online support in response to lockdown
Street League is committed to minimising the detrimental impact of the pandemic on young people who are just leaving school, looking for work and in the very first stages of their career. This commitment saw us adapt and respond, launching our new online employment and sport programme - Head Body Future.
We worked hard to not just move our sport and employability programmes online but to understand and meet the needs that young people have had during lockdown. With the help of our supporters, we extended our support to ensure that young people and their families have money for food, and data bundles to access our online support programmes and apply for jobs.
“We are able to reach so many people online and it is incredible. We’ve made great impact - which isn’t easy to say during a global pandemic. ”
Continuing support for young people when they need it most
Young people’s wellbeing is at the heart of our programmes. Focusing us and them on safeguarding young people’s futures and potential. We have worked alongside employers to help them respond to their recruitment needs and continued to support young people move into work.
Delivered by Street League’s skilled and well-qualified staff, Head – Body – Future is to help young people stay focused, get fit and be ready for their future.
“ Due to the Covid pandemic I was made redundant. My future definitely looks a lot brighter thanks to Street League.”