5 career stories you need to hear this week | Skills, degrees and the future of work

In this week's careers roundup, we break down five important stories shaping the future of work in the UK. From the challenges facing young people entering the job market to the growing demand for technical skills and postgraduate qualifications, we explore what these trends mean for students, graduates and anyone planning their next career move. 

In this episode: 

• Why opportunity, not motivation, is holding many young people back
• The UK's widening skills gap and where the biggest opportunities areemerging
• What students and graduates are saying about today's job market
• Whether a university degree is still worth it
• Why postgraduate study is becoming increasingly important

Find out more on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-stories-know-week-june-5th-prospects-study-tips-and-careers-a-aijhe/  

Subscribe for weekly insights on careers, employability and the changing world of work. 

---

📝 Take the Prospects job match quiz: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-match 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futureyou_pod/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@futureyou_pod 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProspectsJisc 

📜 Episode transcripts: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/podcasts/future-you-podcast-transcripts 

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hello and welcome back to Future You.
The podcast brought to youby graduate careers experts prospects.
Every Friday, we're going to bring youfive stories that are shaping the future
of careers, education and work in the UK.
Hot off the pressand just what students, graduates
and jobseekersneed to be paying attention to.
Let's get into it.
Story one young people aren't the problem.

(00:23):
Dust upA government report has looked at why
so many young people are strugglingto get into work.
Right now, nearly1 million young people in the UK
aren't in education, employmentor training.
Now, whenever this topic comes up,you'll often hear
people saying that young peopledon't want to work anymore.
But that's not what the report found.

(00:43):
The bigger issue is opportunity.
Think about it.
How many times have you seenan entry level job asking for one, two,
or even three years of experience?
It's becoming harder than everto get that first opportunity,
which means a lot of talented
people are getting stuck beforethey've even had the chance to start.
Story two the Skills everyone wants.

(01:06):
Next up,the UK has a growing skills shortage.
And before you switch off
because that sounds boring,this is actually really important.
Employers are strugglingto fill roles in areas like healthcare,
engineering, construction and tech.
At the same time, jobs linked to thingslike AI, digital technology
and clean energy are expected to growsignificantly over the next decade.

(01:30):
So if you're wonderingwhat opportunities might be in the future,
those are definitely sectorsworth paying attention to.
Story three careersare getting more competitive.
The latest Early Careers
survey has revealed somethingthat probably won't surprise many of you.
Getting a job is tough.
Getting experience is tough, and staying

(01:50):
motivated duringthe process can be really tough too.
But here's the interesting bit.
Despite all that, young people'sconfidence about their future careers
is actually increasing.
One of the biggest factorsengaging with careers, events, networking
opportunities, mentorsand careers services just like prospects.

(02:11):
Basically,the people who actively seek support
tend to feel more confidentabout where they're heading.
Story for
is university still worth it?
This is one of those debatesthat never seemed to go away.
A recent survey suggests that more peopleare questioning whether a university
is worth the cost, and honestly, it'snot hard to see why tuition fees are high.

(02:36):
Student debt is a realityfor many graduates, and having a degree
doesn't automatically guaranteea great job anymore.
That doesn't meanthat degrees have lost their value.
What it does mean is that a degree onits own is often not enough.
The students who stand outare usually the ones combining
their studies with work experience,internships,

(02:59):
volunteering,networking, and skills development.
Just this week, we releaseda whole episode all about volunteering.
So do go check that outif that has piqued your interest.
Story five more people may needpostgraduate qualifications.
Finally, postgraduate study.
For a long time,a masters degree felt like something only

(03:20):
certain people did,but that might be changing.
A new report suggests that as employerslook for more specialized skills,
postgraduate qualificationscould become increasingly important
in fields like technology,healthcare, research and leadership.
That doesn't mean
everyone needs a masters, but it doesmean it's becoming a more relevant option

(03:42):
to consider as part of a long termcareer plan.
So what's the main takeawayfrom all five stories?
The job market is changing.
Qualifications still matter,
but skills, experience and adaptabilitymatter more than ever.
And if you're feeling uncertain aboutyour future, you're definitely not alone.
The good news isthat there are opportunities out there,

(04:02):
and you just need to know where to lookand how to position yourself for them.
For help on all of these topics,
do head to prospectsDot act UK where you can sign up for free
and there is a wealth of informationto get you started in all of these fields.
Thank you so much for listeningand if you found this useful,
make sure you're following future.
You see, youdon't miss next week's career stories.