Employer's Social Mobility Alliance

There is clear evidence emerging that many students are finding the necessity to work at home during the pandemic challenging. This is particularly true for students from lower socio-economic backgrounds who may have limited access to technology and wifi or quiet study spaces.1 Financial hardship can increase the stress for students resulting in an undesirable impact on students’ mental health. Additionally, there is concern that the closing of educational institutions at times when students are due to undertake their exams could have an adverse effect on their progression to further study or their entry to the labour market.2 This can be particularly problematic for anyone who finds themselves undertaking ‘young carers’ roles who are now dealing with the additional pressures Covid-19 brings.3

Students undertaking apprenticeships or work-based training are particularly vulnerable to the crisis as their access to learning is contingent on both employers and training providers. Apprentices working in sectors adversely affected by COVID-19 are being made redundant or furloughed. Young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds are more likely to undertake apprenticeships at a lower level, receive a low income, and work in smaller companies less able to withstand economic shocks. According to a survey conducted during lockdown, only 39% of apprenticeships were operating as normal. Around a third of employers reported that they were likely to hire fewer apprentices over the next year or none at all.4