Nearly half (44%) of 16–21-year-olds in the North expect to move from their area of whom 44% are seeking  better employment prospects  and 40%  expect to move to find a better living environment, according to new research into the views of young people on levelling up. The study, commissioned by Atkins and Northern Powerhouse Partnership, shines a light on the perceived prospects that young people believe await them in their local areas, as thosewith the highest academic aspirations were most likely to leave in search of better opportunities (36% of 16-18yr olds and 56% of 18-21yr olds.)

The research, delivered by Trajectory, gives a broad insight into the younger generation’s view of their prospects and opinions on the future, from transport and environment to education and leisure opportunities. Just over half (55%) believed they would be well prepared for the future job market, and 45% expected there to be job opportunities and somewhere affordable to live locally.  Of those who plan to move away, only 15% plan to move to a town or city in their region. However, the majority felt positive about their local area, suggesting a disconnect between their preferences and the perceived prospects that lie within those places.

Other key findings include:

Connectivity, education and future jobs

  • Transport is seen as fundamental to their school, college and job opportunities (34% felt lack of public transport options limited their choice of school, college or work) and 62% living in towns or rural areas experienced unreliable public transport.
  • 49% of respondents felt that high quality jobs would not be available in their local area, but would be available in their region.
  • Information technology, healthcare, finance, engineering and media were listed as the top five sectors to find high quality jobs of the future.

Levelling up

  • Despite high levels of support for the principle of Levelling Up (80%), more than half thought it has not worked in practice (54%) and only 31% thought that their area has benefited.
  • 44% felt Levelling Up only benefits older generations and not under 21s, reinforcing the importance of listening, learning from and responding to the views of younger people.

 Richard Robinson, UK and Europe CEO of Atkins, commented:

“This research offers a view of the future from the perspective of those who will live it, rather than those who professionally plan and deliver it. It should act as a wake-up call: the prospects that many young people believe awaits them reinforces the need for urgency, to deliver change faster and create greater opportunities that benefit all generations.

“Economic investment has a direct and lasting impact on communities but that value goes beyond the built environment, from greater access to jobs and skills to the importance of local transport in connecting communities and boosting opportunities. This is what will create thriving places and influence the future prospects of younger generation, ensuring that those that want to stay in their local area aren’t discouraged from doing so.

“Business has a crucial role to play, working in partnership with local authorities, universities, agencies and other stakeholders, all within a framework provided by government, from redoubling efforts on jobs and skills to greater engagement with young people. Rebalancing regions cuts across a multitude of areas and collaboration will help deliver a levelled up future.”  

Henri Murison, Chief Executive of Northern Powerhouse Partnership said:
 
“Young people who grow up in towns with poor links to major cities don’t have the same life chances as those elsewhere. While it’s simply not possible to spread opportunity perfectly equally everywhere, what we can do is improve transport connectivity so these young people don’t miss out. This also allows these major economic centres access to the talent they need to reach their full potential.

“Recent analysis has found that tackling major economic challenges such as transport and innovation could create over a million high-skilled jobs for the North of England in the next thirty years – a gamechanger for young people growing up here today.

 “This is vital for closing the north-south productivity divide, which is the only way to help the next generation fulfil its potential.”

Commenting on the findings, Professor Kieran Fernandes, Head of Durham Business School said:

 “The upcoming Generation Z is expected to be the most diverse and educated group yet, with a strong emphasis on inclusivity and acceptance. However, there is a lack of research on their views regarding regional inequalities and opportunities. This report follows up on our previous report on regional rebalancing, revealing that ‘place’ plays a crucial role in both prosperity and equality. The report highlights that Gen Z is aware of the tensions between regional-national and urban-rural divisions in today’s global world. They prioritize resource use and corporate social responsibility, emphasizing the need for companies, universities, and policymakers to focus on levelling up local areas in terms of transportation, infrastructure, and education.”

 Trajectory combined quantitative data from 225 young people and qualitative feedback gathered in eight focus groups held across four Northern regions (Liverpool City Region, M6 Development Corridor, Teesside and West Yorkshire) between February and April 2023. The full research report is available here: http://www.snclavalin.com/en/beyond-engineering/next-generation-report

Research findings in more detail

The issues and challenges across the four quite distinct regions we researched were broadly the same in each.  Overall, the quantitative research backed up the focus group findings in most cases.  In some instances the survey findings were more positive and optimistic than expected, due perhaps to respondents wanting to support their areas while focus group participants may have felt more comfortable sharing negative feelings. It was also clear from the focus groups that most young people really care about the place where they live. They want it to do well.

Differences between the two age groups

The two age groups face distinctive challenges: the younger group, 16-18, was most concerned about accessing a high-quality education and finding interesting things to do in their leisure time whereas the 19-21-year-olds were confronting a job market that typically offers low rates of pay, which in turn presents them with challenges in terms of housing and living independently.

The younger age group wanted more leisure opportunities, especially indoors, and the older group was more focused on better pay, job prospects and affordable housing. Both age groups wanted better, more frequent and more reliable transport links and easy access to better shops.

Geography

Geography was very important.  Generally, those living in cities felt that they benefit from more investment and have better leisure facilities, more job opportunities and the best future prospects, but there is more crime and violence, and housing is expensive.  Those in towns felt that they had the worst of both worlds – not much to do or many opportunities and there is still violence and crime.

Those in more rural locations bemoaned the lack of leisure facilities and job opportunities, poor transport links that left them isolated and expensive housing.  However, they did benefit from a calmer and more relaxing environment with less crime and violence.

Levelling up

Around two thirds (68%) had heard the phrase ‘levelling up’ and 40% claimed to have a clear understanding of what it means.  Despite most thinking it is a good idea (80%), more than half thought it has not worked in practice (54%) and only 31% thought that their area has benefited.  There were some very strong negative views from those who were already aware of it.

Transport

Transport was one of the major issues, being seen by young people as fundamental to their life prospects and quality of life – where you can go to school or college, job opportunities and leisure options.

Leisure

This was a major issue for 16- to 18-year-olds, who wanted indoor options.  The older group, which can legally use pubs and clubs also felt that this was a limiting option (especially for a generation that we know drinks less alcohol than previous cohorts.)

Prospects

They  were not overly positive about their prospects. Just over half (55%) thought they will get the right skills and less than half (45%) thought there will be job opportunities and somewhere affordable to live locally.  They had a strong sense that opportunities will not be evenly distributed – the bigger cities in each region and London are expected to offer the best employment options and many felt they would have to leave the area to pursue their career of choice.

Education

Provision is patchy and depends on location. Those living in small towns and rural areas often felt they had little choice and many felt that the education system is not fair.  While nearly three quarters (72%) agreed that they were getting a good education this also means that over a quarter are unhappy.

Skills

Only just over half (54%) said they have been well prepared for the job market of the future.   They felt that soft skills such as communications, time management, collaboration and team working were far more important than practical and knowledge-based skills.

Moving away

Of the 44% who plan to move away just under half (44%) are seeking better employment prospects and two fifths (40%) hope for a better living environment.  There is a significant difference between the age groups – younger people say they are more likely to move away.  Young people from Teesside were more upbeat about what was available than those from the other regions. Despite this, many still felt they would need to move.

Net Zero and the older generation

  • 83% ranked climate change as an important issues: nearly three quarters felt that the older generation should have done more to tackle climate change (73%) and protect the local environment (71%).  There was also inter-generational sympathy and solidarity: many respected their parents’ efforts and felt that they had worked hard and/or not been dealt a great hand. 66% did not blame the older generation for their area for not having done very well in recent times.

Research methodology

The Atkins and NPP ‘Talking ‘bout My Generation’ research is a companion piece to the Atkins, NPP and Durham University ‘Regional Rebalancing’ research report from Summer 2022 which explored the challenges facing decision makers across four regions in the North about levelling up.  This new primary research focuses on the same regions but this time explores the views of the next generation, specifically, 16-21 year olds.

The report is based on findings from two phases of research conducted in February and March of 2023 with young people aged between 16 and 21 living in four Northern regions: Liverpool City Region, M6 Development Corridor, Teesside and West Yorkshire. The research was conducted by Trajectory, a strategic insight consultancy.

The qualitative phase comprised eight focus groups, one in each region with 16- to 18-year-olds and one with 19- to 21-year-olds. Throughout the sample there was a wide mix of demographics including gender, ethnicity, educational attainment level, work status and population density.

The quantitative phase comprised an online survey of 227 young people across the four regions, made up of 103 aged 16 to 18 and 124 aged 19 to 21.

This report focuses on the three key issues that were discussed in the focus groups and measured via the survey:

  1. Place: young people’s views on the infrastructure and amenities where they live
  2. Prospects: young people’s feelings and expectations about their future education, skills, employment and opportunities
  3. Perceptions: what young people know and how they feel about political and social issues such as devolution, levelling up, climate change and mental health