Golden Age for the Grey Age

Once again the young generation of our country are revealed as the worst affected by economic cuts and unemployment. And yet, in the same week, further reports suggest that pensioners are prospering more than ever before.

It would be fair to say there is just a slight disparity in this generation gap.

Whilst I think that pensioners deserve to be taken care of by the state and live comfortably after years of work, I can’t help but think that this is somewhat at the expense of the younger generation – whom will inevitably prop up and provide for the aging population in years to come.

A fundamental difference between the older and younger generation is housing. Many pensioners are home-owners, whereas it is near impossible for young people to even get onto the housing ladder. If they can secure a mortgage, they still need a 10% deposit – which is impossible to fund alongside market rent. Therefore in order to combat these costs, many young people are forced to live at home – the ‘Boomerang Generation’.

I am part of the ‘Boomerang Generation’. Now a graduate, looking for full time employment, my main priority is finding a job and that just isn’t compatible with moving out.

So whilst the older generation enjoy luxuries such as paid TV licences and bus passes – which many do not need – the younger generation are facing a bleak outlook; rising student debt, housing costs and unemployment. Those under 24 are even exempt from the rise in the national living wage – as if we didn’t have it bad enough.

Help the ageing, yes. But don’t forget about us too.

The Graduate Paradigm

This first post is dedicated to the plight of graduate employment

I like many other graduates across the country are feeling the heavy withdrawals from student life. Lie-ins, cheap nights out in smelly night clubs and decidedly, a lack of responsibility. Added to this loss is the highly pressing and overwhelming question: what do I do next? Those that have avoided the issue entirely and headed straight back into the comforting arms of academia are exempt from this demanding matter that plagues us graduates like an incurable hangover.

Unless you’ve opted for a vocational qualification (yes, clever you), the rest of us end up with an expensive certificate (thanks Nick Clegg…£27,000 later) and really no clearer idea of a career than before.

Not exactly the best start. To add to this, a degree has far less value than ever before, so employers look for graduates with previous experience but, they aren’t necessarily prepared to offer that opportunity and if they are, well it’s unlikely to be paid.  The conversation that follows is somewhat telling:

Graduate: I am calling to enquire after any graduate vacancies….

Employer: Do you have any experience in this industry?

Graduate: Well I’ve just graduated so am looking to start a career in (insert *any* career sector)

Employer: I’m afraid we look for graduates with at least 3 months experience. But I can offer you an interview for an unpaid internship?

Why is it that so many employers can justify free labour under the guise of the PC ‘internship’? Is it not a troubling contradiction that to get a graduate job you must have previous experience? Graduates are prepared to learn, but the graduate employment market is so crowded that even a degree from a good university is not enough to secure an interview, let alone a position. It is then worsened as employers take advantage of graduates determined desperation to get employed by only offering unpaid work.

Obviously not all employers adhere to this framework, but there is a growing trend that in order for graduates to gain employment in graduate, entry-level positions they must be prepared to do it free.
Why is it that this generation of graduates have to hand their foot over to get it in the door?