If you had one piece of advice to give to young people who can not get a job--

I visit people routinely in my job and I am amazed at the level of unemployment in the 18 - 22 age group. And these are not young people who simply get out of bed at 1pm and hang around all day, they are young people who appear intelligent, motivated and simply want to go out and earn their own money. But clearly life is very much demotivating them when it comes to employment chances ( or rather lack of them ).

The way that young people come through the ranks nowadays has changed. Forty to fifty years ago, there was a lot going on for young people, both in the private and public sectors. Apprenticeships were commonplace and most employers tiered their infrastructure to have young people coming in and working their way up. I suspect that has all but gone. We live in a very fast paced world where instant results are the norm and people are generally employed on their 'usefulness' from day one. It's mostly about income generation I am afraid.

So my advice to any young person is to accept the current status quo and don't expect big breaks. There is absolutely nothing to guarantee success in today's working world but you simply have to stick with it, be prepared to take on board all levels of work and use that experience to your advantage as and when opportunities arise. I don't believe that 'jobs for life' will ever exist again but the movement of experienced young people with philosophies to match will always be what to aim for. I have seen more great young people accept menial work only to find their abilities have shone through and they have moved on or up.

It's just a question of keeping positive and making a job out of finding a job! That's what i did and it worked.

Hi instinct

There is always a point in jollying them along, you never know what is around the corner.

I worked in recruitment for a long time and I think that the ways to apply for jobs today has changed alot, make use of all avenues available - Jobcentre, papers, job sites online, social network sites like Facebook etc - make use of them all as well as letting friends and family know that they are looking for work. Sometimes it's not what you know, but who you know.

Don't just apply for positions that they are definately qualified for, but some that they are underqualified for as you never know. If called for interview make sure that they are prepared - do your research and find out about the company and anything about the position that they can, go suited and booted, prepare questions to ask during the interview process and think about the types of questions the interviewer is likely to ask and prepare possible answers (if nervous about it, get somebody to role play with them).

Keep positive and keep applying for those positions! Something will turn up, it's just very rarely what we expect it to be.

I hope that something happens for them soon.

I think Vettriano's and Snoopy's answers are excellent and wise!

I would also add a couple of things...even if it's not a job they'd want long-term, it can often help to take a part-time job just to get some work experience under their belt. My son couldn't get a job straight after leaving school, then one day he came home saying he'd got a job with Motorola. I was impressed and asked him what the job was...he hesitated, and then said 'I peel the veggies in their staff canteen! But before you say anything...I know it's a crap job, but I'm learning what it's like to have a job and all that goes with it!'

Secondly, if they can't get a paid job, some voluntary

Some excellent answers already, employers are looking for reliable people who will work hard for their company, unfortunately a lot of young people do not realise how hard they need to work and spend far too long on their mobiles texting. Having said that there are far too many chasing for too few jobs, and anyone who shows gumption by volunteering must be more readily chosen.

Good question Instinct and again some good insightful replies here.

All I can add is that perseverance normally pays off.

The frustrations of applying for a position and the rudeness in some cases of employers not responding to applicants is only too common and disappointing to say the least.

I would suggest staying positive as it makes for a better demeanour when an interview does eventually come about.

Good luck to anyone in this position.

I agree with others that perseverance and positive attitude will pay off. If you change your attitude you also change your viewpoint and you will suddenly see new opportunities where you thought there were none.
Don't compare yourself to others or your situation to those of an earlier generation. Doors will open if you keep looking and accept that you may have to start your career with a job that is not what you want. It is all experience and that is a positive for your future.
Don't stress, keep cheerful and friendly with everyone you meet in life and know that you will be successful.

I believe it depends on what type of work you are qualified to do?

I find that many young people go to college/university only to find that the three or more years they spent learning and passing exams doesn't get them a job.

For me its better to know what opportunities there are for work before you start a course and make sure you are the course that gives you a qualification that is recognised by employers.

With this planning (and possible help from parents/tutors !) there should be a much better chance of being employed afterwards.

The first few years are the toughest in any job, and it might mean additional study on your own or at evening classes afterwards to gain more opportunities for promotion/travel etc.