Precarious Pathways? The Inial Labour Market Experiences ... · • “I’ve updated my CV, so...
Transcript of Precarious Pathways? The Inial Labour Market Experiences ... · • “I’ve updated my CV, so...
Precarious Pathways? The Ini3al Labour Market Experiences of Young People in the
Midlands of England Who Do Not (intend to) Enter Higher Educa3on
PhilMizen(AstonUniversity),GabyA8ieldandArleneRobertson(IER,Warwick)
‘Precarious’ Pathways to Work (in the Midlands)?
• RelaAvelyhighlevelsofyouthunemploymentandunder-employment(especiallyforsomegroup);
• Increasinginsecurityofemployment,withgrowingdifferenAaAonbetween‘careerjobs’andtemporary,part-Ame,zero/corehours,contractemployment;
• IntensificaAonoffocusonvocaAonalskillsandqualificaAons-butfewapprenAceshipopportuniAestoU25s;
• ExpansioninhighereducaAonparAcipaAon(butshiSofcoststolearnersandincreaseindebt);
• Drivetowardsworkexperienceand‘employabilityskills’priortolabourmarketentry
• KeyprojectquesAon:howdoyoungpeople(U25s)experienceandengagewithfactorsliketheseaslooktoleaveeducaAonforpaidemployment?
Youngpeople’spathwaysintoemploymentintheMidlandsduringpreviousrecessionsintheMidlandsinthe1930sand1980s?
Project1
Precariouspathwaysforschoolandcollege
leavers
Project2
Precariouspathwaysforgraduates
Project3
Project4
Employers’perspecAvesonandrecruitmentofprecariousetc.younglabour
Coordina2onoffindingsfromalltheprojects:Theroleof‘precarious’employment,workexperience,
unpaidworkandinternshipsinthetransiAonfromeducaAontoemploymentintheMidlands(incl.lessons
fromthepast)
Year1
Year2
Year3
Precarious pathways from educa3on to employment for young people?
TransiAonsfromeducaAontoemploymentinpreviousrecessions.
LessonsaboutpolicyandpracAcefromthe1930sand1980s?
Project 2 - Key Research Ques3ons
• Project2examines‘precarious’transiAonsfromperspecAveofyoungpeople(16to24yearolds)notseekinghighereducaAon
• Itasks:• WhataretheperceivedemploymentopportuniAesfor(non-HE)educaAonleaversintheMidlands?
• Whattypesofworkexperience,unpaid,temporaryorpart-AmeworkhavebeenundertakenorareanAcipated?
• Howandwhydoyoungpeopleaccessnon-standardformsofwork(i.e.arethese‘career/workchoices’orperceivednecessiAes)?
• Whatdoyoungpeoplemakeofthesetypesofworkandwhataretheirperceived(dis)advantages?
Focus Group and Interview Research
AsampleofyoungpeoplefromthreeMidlandsciAesfacingtheprospect,orhavingexperience,of’precarious’work.Thefieldwork:
FocusGroups–togatherdiagnos2candlocal/citydata• 10focusgroupswithyoungpeopleinBirmingham(3),Coventry(4)andLeicester(3)
• 84focusgroupparAcipantsintotalSemi-structuredInterviews–toallowin-depthfollow-up/inves2ga2onandconsiderprocess(i.e.howyoungpeople‘maketheirway’)• 80semi-structuredinterviews:59‘first’interviewsand21‘follow-up’interviews
FocusGroupParAcipants(84)
Interviewees‘Round1’
(59)
Interviewees‘Follow-up’
(21)
Key Emerging Theme – Temporary Work Agencies • Akeythemeistheimportanceoftemporaryworkagenciesas(potenAal)sourcesofemployment
• Unsurprising,perhaps.LiteratureonTWAssuggestshugegrowthasmeasuredbyworkerscontracted/placed;revenues;andnaAonalandinternaAonalreach–althoughmanyregional/localagenciesaswell
• ArgumentsaboutTWAs,stresstheirsignificanceas:• EnablersthroughacAviaAon,flexibleworking,readyemployment,experience,employability–govt.,employers/industry,agencies;Gray(2002)
• SymptomofdysfuncAonallabourmarket–ILO(2010)• AnacAvedynamicingreaterlabourinsecurity–Forde(2001),FordeandSlater(2016),Gray(2002),Purcelletal.(2004)
• WhatdoyoungworkersmakeofTWAsandhowdotheyusethem?
What P2W par3cipants feel TWAs have going for them • ‘Normality’–TWASareextensivelyandreadilyusedwhenlookingforpaidwork
• “IcouldsayI’veused,likeallofthem.I’vegotanaccountwiththemall’(Ella,18,Leicester)
• Providingtopaidemployment• Full-Ame,part-Ame,temporary,fixedterm,zero/corehours• Incatering,hotel,restaurants,fas8ood,bars,clubsandbars,cleaning(commercialanddomesAc),shopwork,warehouseanddistribuAon,labouring/construcAon,industrial/factory,selling,door-to-door,security,NHS(cleaning,catering),socialcare(childrenandtheelderly)
• WaytoaccessforthosewithfewqualificaAonsandlilleexperience(andwhocandrawonfamilysupport)
• “Ifyouneedmoneyquickly,andlikesaythey’vegotashi;thereforyou,that’sfi;yquidthereforyou,butifit’snotworthyourwhilethere’snotmuchpointindoingitreally.Saysomeonewholivesathomewiththeirparents,it’sgoodforthembecausethenthey’remakingmoneyandtheypaytheirparentsabitofrent,buttheywon’tbehavingtogooutandpay£150rentorsomethinglikethat,especiallyifthey’veonlymade£50”(Kyle,20,Coventry)
• A‘stepping-stone’:• Providing(paid)workexperience:• “I’veupdatedmyCV,soI’vegotexperienceontherenow,becauseofmywaitressingandagency[work],sohopefullyI’llfindsomethingbecauseIhaveexperience.”(Bless,18,Birmingham)
• Accesstointernallabourmarkets(NHS,localauthoriAes,largeprivatesectororganisaAons)or‘temp-to-perm’possibiliAes:
• “Theyaskedmetosendmydetailstothem,scanmypassport,everythingIsendtothem,thentheystartedgivingmework,butwhenIstarteddoingcareworkthemanagerwantedmetobecomepermanent,butthatwasn’tthethingforme,Ididn’twanttodocarework”.(Evelyn,19,Coventry)
• Offeringflexibilityandcontrol:• Fionghoursaroundstudyandothercommitments:• “IhaveWednesdaysalwaysfree,Ihavethewholeweekend,FridayI’mfreesoit’sbasically,FridayIfinish[classes]at10inthemorning,soifIgetajobfromFridayinthea;ernoonthenplustheweekendsorWednesday”(Maarif,18,Birmingham)
• Givingchoiceandabilitytodeclineundesirablejobs(e.g.Evelynabove)
• Providingtemporaryjobsratherthangeong‘stuck’injobsfeltlowlevelorinadequatetoneeds/aspiraAons
• “ThereisadifferencebetweenbeingashopworkerandarecepAonist”(Evelyn,19,Coventry)
• Easyandfastsourcesofwork:
• Gapbetweensigning-upandstarAngworkcanbeshort:• “Iwentintofillinsomepaperworkandgavethemmynumberandoccasionally,everyweek,theywouldcallme,notoccasionally,everyweekIthink,theywouldcallmeonaFriday,andaskmeifI’dwanttoworkontheSaturdayorSundayatweekend,soyeah,I’dsayyeah.I’dtellthemyeah,Iwanttowork”.(Aqeel,18,Leicester)
• Immediateandeasyaccessthroughonlinepresence:• “I’vejustgotaniPad,soIgetmyiPad,typeinGoogle‘JobsinCoventry’.LotsofpagescomeuplikeGumtree,you’vegotIndeed,you’vegotReedcomesupandloadsofjobsites.MyfavouriteoneisIndeedcauseit’ssoeasytouse”.(Sophie,18,Coventry)
• OnlineagenciescanallowapplicaAonformulAplejobswithasingleregistraAon/CV
These posi3ve coexist with significant reserva3ons, cynicism and cri3cism/hos3lity • UnabletosaAsfyaspiraAonsforwork,becauseofage:
• “Agenciesdonothelpyouifyouareunder18…theysay,‘well,we’vegotnoworkthatyou’reabletosortofdo’”(Rose,23,Leicester)
• Insufficientexperience:• “[I]gotanemailbackonce[tellingher]thatyou’renotexperiencedenoughsoyoucan’t[beplacedinwork].”(Melissa,17,Leicester)
• Limitstoflexibilityandcontrol:• So,Iwasapplyingonlinetooandthenmymumgotmetojoinheragency,butobviouslytheyweren’tgoingtogivemeanythingbecauseIwasn’tasavailableastheirotherpeoplebecauseobviouslyIwasatcollege.”(Aafa,18,Birmingham)
• Limitedresponse/replies:• “Idon’tevengetthem!”[i.e.emailswithjobsuggestedjobopportuniAes](Chloe,17,Leicester)
• WastedAmeandeffort:
• “…you’regeXngalltheseotherones[i.e.suggestedopportuniYes]floodinginandyoudon’twannawasteyourYmeonthem,becausethey’reeither,ah,canyoudodeliverydriving?…andit’slike,Ihaven’tgota[driving]licenceoranythingforthat…well,thatwasafuckingwasteofYme’.(Damon,19,Coventry)
• Offeringjobsoutsideofperceivedskills,experience:• Melisa …yougetemailslikethisjob’savailablenearyou,blah,
blah...ThisjobsuitsyourdescripYon,andyouare probablydoingsomethingforhealthandsocialcare,andit turnsouttobephotocopyingorsomething [Laughter]
Ella TheysendmechefonesandIwaslike,Ican’tevencook scrambledeggs[Laughter].(both17,Leicester)
• Offeringjobsthatareinaccessible:
• Chloe Igetloadsofemailbutnoneofthemplan[sic]out.Ella Yeah,wellIgetloadsofemailsaswellaboutthem,it’slike
IgetthemalltheYme,like,ohyeah,this,erm,jobmatches yourareas.Coventry!Yeah,yeah,[of]courseIlivein Coventry.Andyetyouknow,Iliveinthemiddleof Leicester!(both17,Leicester)
• DecepAonbyarAficiallyinflaAngthenumberofvacancies:• “Mostofthemhavethesamejobsonthere,that’swhatI’venoYced.Likethesamejobwillcomefiveorsix[Ymes].Igetlikefiveemailsaboutthesamejob”.(Melissa,17,Leicester)
• ‘”employers]adverYsetheirjobsonsomanydifferent[TWAweb]sites…halfoftheYmeyou’reapplyingforthesamejob,10Ymesover.So,youmightthinklike,ah,yeah,I’veappliedfor10jobs[but]you’veprobablyappliedforone,maybetwojobs,becausethey’rethesame…soyouhavetobecarefulinwhatyourapplyingfor,youthinkyouareapplyingforsomanyandyou’regeXngyourhopesup…andtowardstheenditjustkindagetstoyouandit’slike,wellnothing’soutthere,noone’sgeXngbacktome,I’mnothearinganything,sowhatistheactualpoint?It’ssodifficult”.(Danielle,21,Coventry)
• Jobsthatfailtomaterialise:• “So,wegosignupwiththem,takeallourIDinandthey’relike,‘well,ifanythingcomesupwe’llletyouknow’,andIkindofthink,well,you’vecalledmebecauseI’mapplyingforajob,nowthatjob’ssuddenlydisappeared”.(Danielle,21,Coventry)
• Orbreakingperceivedpromises:
• “…whenhegotthere[i.e.herpartner]todothework,itwasnothinglikethey’dexplained[atemp-to-permopportunity].So,hewasdoingajobthathereallywasn’tqualifiedtodo.Theagencybloke…[toldherpartner]Ican’thelpyou,you’regonnahavetoapplyforthatjobagain”.(Katherine,18,Coventry)
• Justwanttomakemoneyfromyou:• “Doyouknowanagencyisjustabusiness?Theydon’t,it’snot,it’snothingtodowithus,theyjust,theyget,forthemit’sjusttomakemoney,nothingtodowithsorYngpeopleoutorhelpingthem,theyjustgetmassivecontractsandtheysendyouout.”(Iqbal,21,Leicester)
• “So,that’swhyIthinktheypromiseallthisstuffandit’sactuallynothingthey’veexplainedtoyou,‘causeonceyou’vebeenpromisedallthis,you’rethinking,yes!,thisisgonnabeagreatjob.Yougoforitandobviouslythey’vealreadyhadthecommission,soyou’restuckinajobyoudon'treallywant.”(Katherine,18,Coventry)
• TreaAngyouasacommodity:• “Andtheagency…theyusedto,andthenthey[alargelogisYcsbusiness]usedtopaytheagency,whatdidtheypaythemlike?Thewagetheretoworkanhourforthe,thepersonwho’semployedme,[nameoflogisYcscompany],Ithinkitwas£10.69forahour,andthenbecausewewereagencyworkers,weusedto[get]£6.31.£6.31!…Andthentheagencywouldeatthatcoupleofpound,youknowwhatI’mtryingtosaytoyou?Andifthere’s25peopleturninguptowork,15getwork,andwe’rebangingout8,9hours…Theseagenciesarebasicallysetuppurelyforbusiness.’(Duhat,19,Birmingham)
Some Preliminary Thoughts • ExtensiveandrouAneuseofTWAsbyyoungpeoplelookingforwork• Quickandeasysourcesofpaidwork• AsameansofselecAngbetweendifferenttypesofworkopportuniAes• Forinstrumentalpurposes–experience,accesstoemployersorinternallabourmarkets• Toaccommodateothercommitments–study,leisure,family• TosiSoutunwanted/undesirableemployment
• ReproduceexisAngbarriers–e.g.age,lackofworkexperience,skills/qualificaAons• Limitstoflexibility/accommodaAngothercommitments• OpportuniAesarelimited–numericallyandrangeofjobs/occupaAons• AndthoseofferedareoSenhighlyunsuitable• DecepAveandunderhandpracAces• Notconcernedwithneedsofyoungworkers
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