The career ladder is missing its first rung

Alan Milburn’s recently published Young People and Work Review has drawn significant headlines, but one of Milburn’s most striking observations – that “the first rungs on the old career ladder have weakened” – deserved greater focus.

This is not simply about whether young people have the right qualifications, or access to careers advice and employment support. It is about whether the labour market still provides enough opportunities for young people to get started, gain experience and build careers. The deterioration of established pathways from education into entry-level roles and stable career-track employment may be one of the most important structural drivers of declining social mobility and young people’s growing disillusionment with the economic and political system.

While many young people are affected by these changes, those from disadvantaged backgrounds are likely to face the greatest challenges because they are often most reliant on accessible entry-level opportunities to gain a foothold in the labour market. As these opportunities decline, it may become harder for them to transition into independent adulthood.