The Future Melting Pot

The Voice Campaign

Over the course of a few days in early August 2011 – normally a quiet time of year in terms of news – thousands of mainly young people took to the streets in cities across the United Kingdom, rioting, looting and committing other crimes. What started with a police shooting in Tottenham quickly led on to something that was clearly about more than just the relationship between young people and the police.

Elsewhere, although perhaps less sensationally, young people have also taken to the streets to protest against the rise in student tuition fees and have joined hundreds of thousands of public sector workers on a march demonstrating against government cuts and changes to pensions.

These events may all be very different, and they may have been carried out by different groups of young people for a variety of reasons, but they all serve to highlight the issue that many young people don’t see elite decisions as being in their favour. This report from The Future Melting Pot looks at why that is, investigating the various issues that affect the way young people feel and how they are portrayed in society, as well as looking at ways they could be given a greater stake in their communities in order to ensure the violent scenes witnessed in summer 2011 aren’t repeated.

Purpose of the Report

The Future Melting Pot is an organisation set up to help young people. They have played an important role in our growth from the beginning and now, many of our projects are run by young people, for young people. This has given us a good understanding of the issues affecting young people today – issues that the vast majority of people are aware of, but don’t sufficiently engage with.

Given recent events, we think there has never been a better time to raise awareness of the issues. It is our aim to promote this report through our networks of young people, youth workers and others not only to raise awareness but also to generate discussion. We know that no single person or organisation can offer the final solution alone, but if enough people get involved then we believe we might just get somewhere. We hope that this report will help with that, raising debate and inspiring more young people to get involved with their communities, giving them a real stake in their future, and the future of the country.

The Issues

Portrayal of Young People in the Media

One of the biggest challenges faced by young people today is how they are perceived by others, and the media plays a large part in this. A study from the National Children’s Bureau on the subject of how the media portrays young people found that most of the media stories about the young were negative in tone. This is backed up by a study by Young People Now magazine that found that, in 2007, while 23% of news stories about young people were positive, 48% were negative (29% neutral or balanced).

Arguably, a high volume of negative news stories about young people foster fear and resentment amongst older people. This in turns exacerbates the alienation felt by many young people and makes them feel more cut off from society. After all, if they feel as though society doesn’t like them and sees them as a problem to be fixed rather than a group to be encouraged, it isn’t hard to see why many feel as though they don’t have a stake in their communities.

This feeds in to the idea of commercialisation: the National Children’s Bureau interviewed journalists for their study and the consensus from them seemed to be that ‘bad news sells’. This suggests that news outlets – both print and television – are more likely to focus on the negative aspects of some young people’s behaviour because it makes a better story than the fact that most young people are ideal citizens. When this message is put across often enough, it can give the impression that the actions of a minority relate to the majority and, without enough positive news stories to counteract it, the problem builds further.

Exclusion from the systems of society

One argument that has been put forward as a cause of the recent riots is the fact that capitalism has priced many young people out of the market. The theory is that companies market products to young people, making them out to be must-have items (trainers, clothes, iPods, phones and so on), but many young people can’t actually afford them. This inability to acquire what markets are telling them that they should want can lead to feelings of frustration, worthlessness and anger. Whether this actually had any bearing on the riots is still to be determined, but given the sorts of businesses that were looted during the disturbances (sports shops and technical goods stores, for instance), it suggests it may well have played a role, no matter how unconsciously.

Lack of significant political voice

As of mid-2010, figures from the Office for National Statistics tell us that there were 6,632,100 people aged 16-24 in England and Wales. This works out as 12% of the population. Despite these large numbers, young people are massively under-represented in public life, particularly politics. The important decisions affecting our country are still largely taken by those who are middle-class university graduates as well as being overwhelming white, male and middle-aged – despite some progress in terms of gender and minority representation in recent years.

When decisions are being made about young people, it only makes sense that they play a key role in the process so that they can make their views known. However, it can often seem to young people as though they don’t get a say in how things are run. This is something that is increasingly relevant, as youth unemployment rises (see below) and youth services are cut, largely to help cut the government’s deficit and get the country’s finances back under control after a recession that young people didn’t cause. By contrast, services for older people (who are also, incidentally, more likely to vote), have been largely left unaltered, leading to a growing sense of unfairness between generations.

Of course, many young people are engaged in politics and get involved in single issue campaigns and issues on a local level, but there are many more who feel completely alienated from the process to the point where they don’t even turn up to vote (only 44% of those aged 18-24 voted in the 2010 general election); surely incorporating the views of young people and providing more representation for young people is an important part of making them feel more included in society.

(Un)employment

The current rate of unemployment in the United Kingdom is 7.9%, and the current rate of youth unemployment is 20.2% – up from 20% during the previous quarter of 2011. Also, the proportion of 18-24 year olds that count as ‘NEET’ (not in education, employment or training) has risen to 18.4%, up from 16.3% in 2010.

It isn’t hard to see that with figures like this, large swathes of young people are likely to feel isolated as they have nothing to occupy their time. Luckily, the problem isn’t as bad as in some other countries, such as Spain where the youth unemployment rate is currently around 45%, but the upwards trend is definitely cause for concern. Previous studies have shown that a period of unemployment when young can affect a person for a long time to come[1]; many will end up in and out of work for many years to come and some will never get over it.

At a time when the importance of society and the work ethic is being championed so highly by the government, it seems more important than ever that something is done to help combat the trend of youth unemployment. However, previous schemes that were aimed at helping this – such as the Future Jobs Fund and careers funding – are being cut back or even axed altogether. Unless action is taken to reverse this, The Future Melting Pot is worried that youth unemployment will grow and so will the problems that are commonly associated with it.

[1] A recent Cabinet Office report (April 2011) on social mobility tells us that ‘young people who are NEET at age 16-18 are more likely by age 21 to be unemployed, earn less, receive no training, have a criminal record and suffer from poor health and depression, compared with their peers who were in education or work between 16 and 18 (pp.43-44).

Social Immobility

In the post-war era, society became more mobile: the expansion of white collar and middle management jobs gave many previously working class people the chance to become middle class. However, by 1970 this trend was slowing dramatically: children born in 1970 were much more likely to be stuck in the social class of their birth than children born twelve years earlier. Today, the UK is one of the most immobile countries in the rich world. This means that if you are born into a poor family, the chances are that you will stay poor for all your life. Also, a 2010 report from the Cabinet Office found that the bottom third of the income distribution own only 3% of the country’s wealth; the top third own 75%, showing the dramatic inequality between the top and bottom of society.

This is compounded by education: richer children tend to do better at school and even bright poor children find themselves overtaken by richer pupils of average or lower intelligence[2]. 75% of children from the richest 20% of the population will get 5 or more good GCSEs, compared to 21% of children from the poorest 20%. Also, as more and more jobs become dependent on qualifications (certain jobs requiring degrees or specific certificates despite not needing them before, for instance), it shuts out large groups of young people from getting into certain professions[3].

There is currently a debate going on as to whether parents should be allowed to help their children get ahead in the jobs market by giving them work experience or internships, or putting them in touch with useful contacts; this is a practice that largely benefits the privileged – especially as many internships are unpaid and so a lot of young people can’t afford to undertake them – and so it is the cause of some controversy. The fact that so many people’s life chances are dependent on the income of their parents[4] is surely a factor in some of the unrest we have seen lately.

[2] See page 26 of the Cabinet Office Report, Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers: A strategy for social mobility (April 2011).

[3] 57% of children from the most advantaged areas go on to higher education, compared with just 19% from the most disadvantaged areas. The disadvantaged are also up to 15 times less likely to go to the more selection HE institutions (ibid, p.48).

[4] See page 5 of the above report, as well as Blanden (2009) – reference can be found in the bibliography.

Lost Hope

All of the above factors – and probably more – culminate in one over-riding issue faced by young people today: the loss of hope. There is a lot of talk in the media at the moment about a ‘lost generation’; such language might evoke a certain image and, with any luck, it might spur those in power into action, but it is hardly encouraging for the young people it describes.

Arguably, if young people felt as though they had more of a stake in society – hope for their futures, in other words – they wouldn’t feel the need to cause disruption as they have done in recent weeks and months. One of the most shocking facts of the riots was that young people were tearing apart their own communities, the places where they have grown up and continue to live.

It is in the interests of all of us to make sure we have a happy and prosperous generation of young people: proper action might not be easy, and it might cost money, but the price we will all pay if nothing is done is far greater.

The Future Melting Pot

The Future Melting Pot is an organisation based in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. Our aim is to support young people – and other groups – to unlock and fulfil their potential. We are passionate about working with young people on a local level to help them develop their personal and professional skills. We believe that tailored intervention is important when it comes to helping young people get back on track; we take a personalised approach to our work so that young people can enjoy the precise support they need.

For instance, in 2010 we ran a pilot project called the Youth Rehearsal Programme. The YRP worked with 20 young, unemployed people with the aim of developing their personal skills and helping them achieve their professional goals, with a focus on self-employment. As a result of the programme, 3 young people became self-employed, 2 found employment, 2 started volunteering and 1 started university. The project ran over the course of 6 months and was delivered using a combination of funding from the Working Neighbourhoods Fund and volunteer time, harnessing a wide range of skills from volunteers in order to provide expert training and project support for the young people.

TFMP is now expanding and consolidating the project so that it can be replicated elsewhere and more young people will be able to benefit from the blend of personal coaching and business support that form the YRP. We are also running a Heritage Lottery-funded project into the history of social enterprise in Birmingham. The project is run by a group of young people, who have been inspired by what they have learned and are now starting the process of transforming TFMP into a youth-led cooperative enterprise.

We have also run a range of other projects for young people, including mentorship and youth leadership programmes. All have been successful at engaging young people from diverse backgrounds and influences. For instance, we have recruited through organisations such as the JobCentre, Connexions, BVSC and local universities, as well as utilising our own contacts and networks (including BVSC, Young Enterprise and more). The young people we have worked with have included the unemployed, black and minority ethnic groups, students and graduates. TFMP specialises in engaging with hard to reach groups, meaning we are ideally placed to facilitate any future projects into supporting young people in their communities.

Recommendations

From all of this experience, and with the problems discussed earlier in this report in mind, The Future Melting Pot would like to make some recommendations for any future projects aimed at young people and giving them a greater stake in their own future. These recommendations are informed by the work of TFMP and also our CEO, Estella Edwards, who has 26 years’ experience of working on social justice issues. This has included extensive work with women, young people, BAME and other disadvantaged groups.

• Young people would benefit from being paired with role models, both personal and professional, who can pass on their skills to the next generation.
• Work experience placements – preferably paid – would benefit many young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Young people should be given more leadership opportunities. For example, at TFMP, while Estella Edwards is the CEO and provides overall leadership, young people are also given the opportunity to lead on projects and areas of interest to them.
• Diversity is something to cherish; TFMP has worked with young people from a wide range of backgrounds, something that has enriched not just the organisation but the young people themselves, introducing them to different ways of life.
• It’s important to remember problems aren’t confined to a particular group in society; the economic climate and issues of experience affect all young people, no matter what their background. This suggests that as well as individual and targeted interventions, the holistic approach must not be neglected.
• Young people should be given opportunities to be mentored – and become mentors themselves. At TFMP, we have run successful programmes where previous beneficiaries of mentoring have become mentors themselves for other young people. This is inspiring for young people and also helps to build the capacity of change organisations such as TFMP.
• Volunteering on youth-led and youth-oriented projects should be encouraged, and the young people involved should be given a significant say in the running of those projects; responsibility encourages commitment and gives them a stake in the outcome of projects that, in turn, benefit more young people.
• Increased constructive use of social media can help to engage young people, raise awareness of issues and chart the success of youth campaigns. This is the approach that TFMP has taken with our heritage project, for example, which the young people leading the project are documenting via a blog, videos and other media.
• Young people should be given the chance to work alongside senior leaders, especially in areas of interest to them, in order to create awareness not just of issues relating to leadership and work, but also to introduce both parties to each other so an environment of better understanding can be created.
• When working on projects, young people should be given autonomy when working, as well as a solid structure of support, mentoring and feedback; this is the model that TFMP uses, and it also has a focus on personal development plans.
• Leaders, businesses, communities and individuals need to show that they believe in young people in order to create a society where the young feel welcome, valued, able to participate and useful.
• TFMP is currently working alongside Herman Stewart, an educationalist from the Success School. We believe that significant work is needed with young people between the ages of 13 and 16 in order to prevent them from becoming disengaged from education, work and society. We look forward to working with Herman Stewart to continue this project further and hope that other local and national groups will adopt similar approaches.[5]
• This view was further reinforced by a forum we held at TFMP that was attended by a group of 13-16 year olds who are committed to helping those of their own age who are ‘pre NEETs’ to make them aware of their future and giving them the support to find their inner voice through a campaign which will act as a preventative model from the temptations of society’s wrongdoers/wrongdoings. This is led by a 15 year old student Alex Brown.

It is increasingly clear that ‘traditional’ approaches to dealing with young people will not be enough, especially in an ever-changing society.  For instance, in Birmingham, where TFMP is based, there is due to be an ethnic majority by 2020 and yet people from BAME backgrounds are still generally disadvantaged. This is just one of the issues that need to be taken into account when dealing with the issues facing young people today.

Of course, we must never excuse the violence that occurred on our streets in the summer of 2011, but rather than using it as a reason to demonise young people, we should seize it as an opportunity to do something good. Starting a debate on how we can make informed changes and give young people a greater stake in their communities, enabling them to become more successful as time goes on, must surely be the first step.

[5] TFMP asked Herman Stewart for his views on the issues discussed in this report, especially in light of his position at the Success School, which works with young people to marry together their experience of education with their attitude and personal aspirations. One of the issues he highlighted in education is that often, teachers aren’t from the local community where their pupils live; this idea of local support for local issues is something that we are interested in looking at together. One of the aims here is to use young people who have been NEET to engage with their younger, pre-NEET peers so that they can give them a first-hand account of their situation and the dangers of becoming disengaged from work and education.

Bibliography

BBC News, (2011), ‘NEET’ Youths Figure at Second-Quarter High, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14644613, 24^th August, accessed 2/9/2011.

BBC News, (2011), UK Unemployment Total on the Rise, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14555264, 17^th August, accessed 2/9/2011.

Blanden, J., (2009), How much can we learn from international comparisons of intergenerational mobility? Centre for the Economics of Education, Discussion Paper III.

Cabinet Office (2010), State of the Nation Report: Poverty, worklessness and welfare dependency in the UK.

Cabinet Office (April 2011), Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers: A strategy for social mobility.

Chandiramani, R., (2007), Media still disrespects the young, in Young People Now, no.382, 27 June, p8.

General Election Turnout 1945 – 2010, http://www.ukpolitical.info/Turnout45.htm, accessed on 2/9/2011.

Office for National Statistics (2010), Mid-year Population Estimates Analysis Tool.

National Children’s Bureau (2008), Media Portrayal of Young People – impact and influences

Stewart, H., (2011), Contribution to TFMP Report.

Toynbee, P., (2011), Viewpoint: Why the class struggle is not dead, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14721315, 1^st September, accessed 2/9/2011.

Copyright Estella Edwards The Future Melting Pot September 2011 ©

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