Are We Creating a “Lost Generation” or Failing to Prepare the Next One?

This morning (28.5.2026) on Good Morning Britain, the discussion centred around what some are now calling “The Lost Generation.”

Young people desperate to work.
Desperate to gain experience.
Desperate to build a future.

Yet increasingly unable to get onto the first rung of the ladder.

One young man interviewed on the programme said he had applied for over 500 jobs and received as many rejections.

Another explained that before you even speak to a human being, you first have to “beat the algorithm” - AI-driven ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) scanning CVs for keywords and experience many young people simply don’t yet have.

And perhaps the most concerning statistic of all:
84% of young people currently classified as NEET - Not in Education, Employment or Training - say they actually want a job or training opportunity.

This is not a generation lacking ambition.

It is a generation struggling to access opportunity.

The numbers behind the problem

Today, more than one million young people aged 16–24 in the UK are estimated to be NEET. This is the highest level in over a decade.

Government-commissioned reviews now warn that figure could rise to 1.25 million within the next five years if meaningful action is not taken.

At the same time:

• Apprenticeships have reportedly fallen significantly over the last decade
• Entry-level opportunities are becoming more competitive
• AI is changing the employment landscape faster than many schools can adapt
• Young people are competing against hundreds, sometimes thousands, of applicants for a single role

Speaking to friends, business owners, and parents in my own network, many are now relying on personal contacts and favours simply to help their children gain basic work experience.

Even with connections, they are struggling.

What employers say they want

Ironically, when employers are asked what they are looking for, the answers are often remarkably consistent:

Confidence.
Communication skills.
Initiative.
Resilience.
Problem solving.
Commercial awareness.
Leadership.
Accountability.

These are not qualifications alone.
They are life skills.

And many young people are simply not being taught them early enough.

Perhaps we need to rethink preparation

One business owner interviewed this morning made a powerful point. He called on fellow employers to “step up and give opportunities” to young people so they can gain experience and begin building careers.

I completely agree.

But I also believe we need to help young people prepare themselves differently too.

Not every young person will become a business owner.
That is not the goal.

But entrepreneurial thinking teaches something much broader:
how to communicate ideas, solve problems, manage yourself, take initiative, think commercially, and build confidence.

Those are employability skills.
Those are leadership skills.
Those are life skills.

Why YESS matters

This is one of the reasons YESS Foundation-UK exists.

YESS (Young Entrepreneur Smart Start) is a fully funded programme for 12–22 year olds designed to help young people build confidence, resilience, communication abilities, leadership thinking, and practical real-world skills.

Students invest approximately two hours per week over a school term.

Some leave with business ideas.
Some become more employable.
Some discover confidence they did not know they had.
Some simply begin thinking differently about their future.

In a world where AI may increasingly replace routine tasks and traditional entry-level roles become harder to secure, young people will need far more than exam results alone.

They will need adaptability.
Self-belief.
Communication skills.
Problem solving.
Commercial understanding.
And the confidence to create opportunities rather than wait for them.

A message to parents and business owners

If you are a business owner, perhaps there has never been a more important time to provide opportunities, mentoring, encouragement, or experience to younger people.

And if you are a parent, perhaps there has never been a more important time to help your child develop the skills school alone may not provide.

The future job market is changing rapidly.
Young people need more than qualifications to navigate it successfully.

They need belief in themselves and the skills to back that belief up.

New YESS programmes begin regularly throughout the year.

If you would like to help your child, family member, or a young person you know develop confidence, business awareness, leadership thinking, and real-world life skills, you can find out more and register interest at yessfoundation.org.uk