Voice Notes: Education, employment and training, the barriers.
Last year, we had a few questions for young people about work and training. We wanted to hear directly from them about the challenges they face and what support makes a real difference.
What Young People Told Us:
Young people overwhelmingly identified emotional and mental health challenges as the main barriers to participating in work or training. Common difficulties included:
- Feeling anxious or stressed
- Experiencing mental health difficulties
- Low confidence
- Feeling judged or misunderstood
- Carrying the impact of past negative experiences in school or work
Our youth workers see these same patterns in their day-to-day work, identifying anxiety, low confidence, and lack of workplace readiness as the most common barriers.
“People need to understand I’m not being lazy — my anxiety just won’t let me move on.”
What Research Tells Us
Our findings align with broader evidence showing that mental health and labour market transitions are tightly linked for young people:
Young people’s mental health in the workplace – A UK report from the Institute for Employment Studies found mental health conditions are common among young workers and often go undisclosed due to discomfort, while many leave or consider leaving jobs due to impacts on wellbeing.
Youth Employment UK’s Youth Voice Census notes anxiety is a top barrier to finding work and that mental health issues are closely associated with transitions into work and training.
Joseph Rowntree Foundation research highlights that young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) experience higher rates of anxiety and mental health‑related barriers than their peers in work or education.
Young People Are Being Left Behind
Young people’s challenges are also reflected in broader UK labour market trends:
Official data show that nearly 1 million young people in the UK are not in education, employment or training (NEET). A figure that has been rising in recent years, highlighting structural barriers that include mental health and confidence.
These figures show the importance of not only addressing practical barriers like job skills and experience, but also emotional and mental wellbeing which young people themselves say they are deeply connected to their ability to engage with employment and training.
Misinterpreting Disengagement
Many young people shared that their struggles are often misunderstood as a lack of motivation, when in reality they are coping with pressure, anxiety, and past negative experiences.
“I say I can’t and they hear ‘I won’t.’”
By listening carefully to young people, we can better adapt support. Not just around skills and job readiness, but emotional and psychological safety, too.
Take Action
At Inspire, we work directly with young people to provide personalised support, guidance, and opportunities in education, training, and employment. If you’re a young person looking for help, or know someone who is, we’re here to listen and make a difference.
Get in touch today: info@inspirecharityuk.org or click the Refer button at the top of the page!
