Two-thirds of Employers Reject Young Candidates Because They Are Unable to Articulate Their Skills

LONDON, October 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

A startling number of young people (18-24 year olds) have misplaced confidence in their ability to communicate with potential employers - according to a poll commissioned by the digital youth charity YouthNet and carried out by YouGov.

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According to the online poll, almost two-thirds (64%) of unemployed British young people feel confident in their abilities to express their skills when applying for a job.  However, this is at stark odds with what senior decision makers (including board level executives, chief execs, managing directors) from Britain's businesses say - with over two-thirds (66%) rejecting candidates because they are unable to articulate their skills.

The poll is released as YouthNet launches Define Me - a free online tool, developed with the support of UBS, that helps young people identify the job-relevant skills they've gained and find the right words to talk about them to potential employees. Once their everyday life experiences are translated, they can then be imported into applications or used in interviews.

The poll also reveals that almost half of employers feel young applicants don't understand what skills are required for them to be successful candidates, with only 5% of businesses feeling young candidates understand very well what skills are required. This is in conflict with how unemployed young people feel they are doing - with the majority (62%) believing they do usually understand what an employer is looking for.

Chris Martin, YouthNet's CEO says: "These findings show that many young people undervalue the skills they have and struggle to articulate them to potential employers. With over 900,000 young people not yet in employment education or training in the UK, it is vital that digital services play a central role in helping young people to shine. Tools like Define Me provide invaluable support to young people in their journey to employment and help to bridge the gap between employers and their future workforce."

Nick Wright, Managing Director, Global & EMEA Community Affairs from UBS says, "Sadly these findings are not a surprise. A consensus is growing rapidly around the reasons why so many talented young people cannot convince employers to take them on. It is crucial that employers get involved and, alongside government and schools, help young people to develop, recognise and describe the skills they have and which employers need."

Other findings include: 

• 60% of unemployed 18-24 year olds think that in addition to school / university achievements and industry-specific work experience, voluntary work was considered valuable by employers for candidates to have.
• The majority (55%) of senior decision makers think that work experience unrelated to the business is valuable for candidates to have as well as education achievements and industry-specific work experience.
• 80% of unemployed young people would go online (68%) or use social media (12%) to support them with their job application or interview.

Full research details & notes to the editor can be found via http://www.youthnet.org/2015/10/two-thirds-of-employers-reject-young-candidates-because-they-are-unable-to-articulate-their-skills/.