YOUNG PEOPLE across Wales have had an “aspirational rug pulled from under their feet” during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a leading charity figure.
Phil Jones, director of Prince’s Trust Cymru, was speaking after the charity’s Young People in Lockdown report revealed that 43 per cent of young people across the UK are feeling increased levels of anxiety.
Mental health issues among that percentage derive from fears about the future and employment prospects.
“The coronavirus emergency has pulled an aspirational rug from under the feet of a generation of young people,” said Mr Jones. “Many, including those who have only just started their working lives, no longer have access to jobs, training and education, which will set them up for the future.
“Opportunities to learn, to train and to work have taken an immediate and unprecedented hit, and when the lockdown is over, they will face the daunting prospect of trying to re-start their careers during what most of us believe will be the deepest recession in living memory.”
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Only 46 per cent of young people in Wales said they felt confident in their future mental health; the lowest score in the UK-wide study.
The labour market figures from Office for National Statistics show a significant increase in young people claiming Universal Credit, and the charity has learned that people under 25 are most likely to lose work in lockdown.
"The support provided to young people by Prince’s Trust Cymru has never been more important than right now," Mr Jones added. "The Trust is one of precious few organisations which is speaking to young people all over the country every day, listening to their concerns and providing practical advice and support online and over the phone during lockdown.
"If we get this right, the benefits to our collective wellbeing and prosperity will be profound.
You can find out more about the work of Prince’s Trust Cymru, including the Young People Relief Fund and many other ways of getting involved at: https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/about-the-trust/coronavirus-response/resource-centre.
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