Teenagers Want More Work Experience and Job Help, Survey Finds

Many teenagers in the UK would like more help getting ready for work, according to a survey for the BBC. More than four in 10 said they want more work experience opportunities at school. A similar number asked for more guidance on how to apply for jobs.

The online survey was carried out by Survation. It asked 2,000 young people aged 13 to 18 about the world of work. More than half of the people who answered said they had not done any work experience.

The survey also looked at other things young people wanted help with. Around 43% wanted help managing finances, and 39% wanted help managing stress and mental health. About 38% wanted help developing communication skills.

Nearly a third of the teenagers surveyed (32%) said school was preparing them badly for the future of work. More than half said school was preparing them well. Overall, more than three quarters said they still felt positive about their futures.

Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said it was the government's mission to make sure teenagers leave school feeling confident about their next step. In England, the government wants to guarantee two weeks of work experience for every young person during secondary school.

The BBC also followed four students from Newcastle during their work experience placements. The project was called Teen Summit and was run by Radio 5 Live and Bitesize. Jasmine, aged 15, worked on logo designs at the web design agency Readysalted. Param had his placement at the social housing group Re:Gen. Javaris and McKenzie spent a week at Siemens Energy.

Javaris said he thinks work experience should be mandatory. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Sunday that he wanted to invest in the success of young people.