The Prince’s Trust Macquarie Youth Index released this week warns that almost a third of young people in Wales don’t feel in control of their lives, with concerns about job prospects, self image and recent political events playing on their minds.
The Prince’s Trust Macquarie Youth Index released this week warns that almost a third of young people in Wales don’t feel in control of their lives, with concerns about job prospects, self-confidence and recent political events playing on their young minds.
Sponsored by Macquarie, the Youth Index is a national survey that looks into young people’s wellbeing. Focusing on a wide range of areas such as family life and physical health, the index found that young people’s wellbeing is at its lowest since it was first commissioned.
The eighth index reveals that many young people are feeling trapped; with a fifth in Wales believing that they cannot change their circumstances even if they wanted to and 16% thinking that their live will amount to nothing, no matter how hard they try.
With a wide range of contributing factors, the index found that 31% of young people do not feel in control of their job prospects, nearly half (45%) of young people feel stressed about their body image and 35% feel stressed about how to cope at work or school.
According to the Youth Index, the current political and economic climate appears to be taking its toll on young people in Wales; with 64% of them saying that recent political events make them feel anxious about their future.
46% of young people are feeling more anxious about life in general than a year ago.
Half (50%) feel that the pressures of getting a job are greater than a year ago, with 45% feeling that owning a house or getting a steady job are out of their reach.
Phil Jones, Direction of the Prince’s Trust Cymru said ‘This report paints a deeply concerning picture of a generation who feel their ability to shape their own future is slipping away from them. It’s shocking how many feel so desperate about their situation and it is vital that we support them to develop the confidence and coping skills they need to succeed in life.”
‘The single most important thing we can do to empower these young people is to help them into a job, an education course or onto a training programme. Now, more than ever, we must work together to provide the support and opportunities they need to unlock a brighter future.”
David Fass, CEO of Macquarie Group, EMEA said “We have seen first-hand how the work of organisations such as The Prince’s Trust can transform young lives. Macquarie is committed to investing in young people and we hope the findings of this years’ index will help inform the development of the policy and programmes designed to address the issues facing young people today.”
As part of its ongoing commitment to help young people overcome any emotional wellbeing challenges, The Prince’s Trust has launched a new mental health strategy. Supported by The Royal Mail Group, it aims to give staff, volunteers and delivery partners the confidence and ability to respond to young people’s mental health needs.
Mental health support will be introduced into all of The Prince’s Trust personal and employability programmes to support vulnerable young people in getting the most appropriate care at the earliest opportunity. Partnering up with mental health organisations and specialist services, the ambition is to co-locate mental health related services at Prince’s Trust Centres.
This year, The Prince’s Trust will support 60,000 disadvantaged young people to develop the confidence and skills they need to succeed in life.
Three in four young people supported by The Prince’s Trust move into work, education or training.
If you would like to talk to anyone about life issues or other things, please contact Meic, the national information, advice and advocacy helpline for 0-25s in Wales. You can contact Meic by phone (080880 23456), text (84001), instant message (www.meic.cymru) or email (help@meic.cymru) between 8am and midnight.
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