London - Young people have unrealistic expectations of the job market, with most saying they only want a job in popular culture, media or sport, a report revealed.
Many employers are desperate to recruit, but say candidates’ written applications are in “text speak” and they are late for interviews, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Some have a poor knowledge of the company they are applying to, having failed to do any research.
Others are unable to say why they want the job, the report says.
It raises fears about a generation of young people with an “extremely limited” attitude to where they want to work, adding many want to “just walk into their dream job”.
It cited research, from the charity the Education and Employers’ Taskforce, which found one in five teenagers aged 15 and 16 want to work in culture, media and sports.
Catherine Schleiben, head of recruitment at ITV, is quoted in the report saying: “Our challenge is to show that the industry isn’t so glamorous.”
It comes after the Prime Minister expressed his own frustration about many British children’s lack of ambition.
On a trip to a school in Liberia in February, children told him they would like to become doctors, lawyers and government ministers.
Mr Cameron joked: “If you ask children in the UK, all they want to be is pop stars and footballers.’”
The CIPD said many young people take a “scattergun” approach to applications and ‘have done nothing to research and tailor their applications to the specific role.’
Asda, the supermarket giant, said it receives more than one million applications every year for around 28 000 jobs.
Last year, National Grid received 10 000 applications for 70 apprenticeship places last year.
The report concluded that Britain has “a ticking time bomb” of skills shortages among young people because they only want to work in the media or sport.
Peter Cheese, chief executive of the CIPD, said: “When it comes to recruitment, it can feel as though young people and employers are on completely different planets.
“Too many young people are struggling to find their first job, whereas many employers are finding it difficult to get the skills they need.”
Around 979 000 young people between the age of 16 and 24 are currently unemployed, although this includes around 300 000 full-time students, according to the Office for National Statistics. - Daily Mail