Life at age 17: initial findings from the Growing Up in Scotland study (Sweep 11)

4 Employment, apprenticeships, and income

This chapter includes findings from questions asked to the young people about their experiences and views of employment, apprenticeships and training. It also provides information on the sources and amount of income they were receiving.

4.1 Activities in last seven days

Young people were asked to report which activities they had been doing in the previous week from attending school to voluntary work. They were able to select all relevant activities they had been engaged in over the last seven days.

As in Figure 4‑A, young people were most likely to have been attending school (44.4%), working either full-time or part-time (46.6%) and/or attending college or university (21.6%).

Base: All young people (2355)

Young women were more likely than young men to be working (52.4% compared with 40.6%) and/or doing voluntary work (10.3% compared with 4.2%) whereas young men were more likely than young women to be doing an apprenticeship or training scheme (9.3% compared with 3.2%).

Young disabled people were less likely than young non-disabled people to be ‘working’ (33.1% compared with 51.4%) and more likely to be ‘unemployed and looking for work’ (8.3% compared with 3.8%) or ‘not working, studying or looking for work’ (7.7% compared with 2.9%).

Young people living in more deprived areas were less likely than those living in less deprived areas to be attending school and/or to be working. For example, 31.0% of young people living in the most deprived quintile (SIMD 1) were attending school compared with 62.2% of young people in the least deprived quintile (SIMD 5). Young people living in more deprived areas were more likely than those in less deprived areas to be at college/university (27.2% in SIMD 1 compared with 17.0% in SIMD 5), unemployed and looking for work (6.5% in SIMD 1 compared with 3.6% in SIMD 5) and/or not working, studying or looking for work (7.5% in SIMD 1 compared with 2.7% in SIMD 5).

4.2 Employment experiences

Just over two-thirds (68.2%) of young people reported having ever had a paid job as either an employee or self-employed. Those who were currently studying at university (77.0%) were more likely than those who were studying at college (62.5%) and those not studying at either college or university (69.3%) to say they had ever had a paid job.

Just under two thirds (62.1%) had a job at the time of data collection – 13.2% were working and not doing any other activity (such as attending school or university) whilst 48.8% were working as well as doing another activity.

Young men were less likely than young women to have ever worked (63.6% compared with 72.7%). Young disabled people were less likely than young non-disabled people to have ever had a paid job (53.6% compared with 72.4%). Young people living in SIMD quintiles 1 and 2 were less likely than those in SIMD quintiles 3, 4 and 5 to have ever worked (51.6% and 64.8% compared with 74.2-75.5% respectively).

Amongst those who had ever had a paid job (including those currently working), 54.3% had only had one job, 28.9% had had two and 15.9% had had between three and five.

4.2.1 Hours worked

Most of those who had ever worked reported that they normally worked up to 12 hours (39.3%) or between 13-20 hours (29.4%) a week. A smaller proportion worked between 21-24 hours (13.9%) and a minority (17.3%) reported working 35 hours or more.

Base: All young people who had ever had a job (1672)

Young men reported working a higher number of hours per week - 25.4% who had ever had a paid job reported working 35 hours or more compared with 10.6% of young women.

Young people in SIMD quintiles 1 and 2 (the most deprived quintiles) were more likely than those in quintiles 3, 4 and 5 to work longer hours with 22.6% and 25.3% of those in SIMD quintiles 1 and 2 working 35 hours or more compared with 15.1%, 16.3% and 10.0% of those in SIMD quintiles 3, 4 and 5 respectively.

4.2.2 Type of work

Over half (55.1%) of young people who had ever worked had a job involving shift work and 42.0% had a zero-hours contract. Shift work was more common amongst young women than young men (59.1% compared with 50.4%).

4.2.3 Finding a job

Six in ten (59.5%) young people who had ever had a paid job found their job through a friend or family member, with a further 18.7% finding their job through a jobs website.

Base: All young people who had ever had a job (1676)

Young men were more likely than young women to have found their job through a friend or family member (65.8% compared with 54.1%) and less likely to have used a jobs website (14.9% compared with 21.8%).

4.2.4 Rights at work

Young people who had ever had a paid job were asked how well informed they felt about their rights at work. Most felt either ‘very well’ (30.9%) or ‘well’ (48.1%) informed with only 16.9% feeling ‘not very well informed’ and 4.1% feeling ‘not well informed at all’.

4.3 Impact of Covid-19 on employment, education or training

When asked whether the coronavirus pandemic had an impact on their employment or training, most (74.5%) young people said it had not. However, a minority did report some impact as shown in Figure 4‑D.

Young people in the most deprived areas were more likely than those in less deprived areas to say they had dropped out of school or college as a result of the pandemic. For example, 11.8% of young people in SIMD 1 reported this impact compared with 2.6% of those in SIMD 5.

Base: All young people (2353)

4.4 Important job attributes

All young people were presented with a list of factors people might consider when applying for a job and asked to select the three most important to them. As shown in Figure 4‑E, the three most commonly selected factors were ‘an interesting job’ (62.0%), ‘a high income’ (49.9%) and ‘flexible working hours’ (45.6%).

Young men were more likely than young women to choose high income (59.6% compared with 40.6%), an interesting job (64.8% compared with 59.4%) and job security (17.4% compared with 13.2%). Young women were more likely than young men to choose flexible working hours (49.9% compared with 41.2%) and a job that helps other people (28.0% compared with 12.8%).

There were also differences by area deprivation. In particular, young people in more deprived areas were less likely than those in less deprived areas to say having ‘an interesting job’ was important (51.7% in SIMD 1 said this compared with 67.6% in SIMD 5). Conversely, those in the SIMD 1 were more likely than those in SIMD 5 to say that having ‘a job that helps people’ was important (25.4% compared with 16.7%).

Base: All young people (2351)

4.5 Apprenticeships and training programmes^[10]

Just under one in ten (9.2%) young people reported they were currently doing an apprenticeship and 3.4% said they were currently doing another kind of work-based training course or scheme. Apprenticeships were more common among young men than young women (13.5% compared with 5.1%).

Most young people on apprenticeships were doing a ‘modern apprenticeship’ (59.4%) or ‘foundation apprenticeship’ (27.1%) with the remainder on a ‘graduate apprenticeship’ (2.4%) or some ‘other type of apprenticeship’ (11.1%). For 70.5% of those on an apprenticeship and for 55.0% on another kind of work-based course, some study at a college or training centre was involved.

4.5.1 Reasons for applying for an apprenticeship

When asked the main reason why they applied for their apprenticeship, most commonly (see Figure 4-F) young people said they wanted to enter into or progress in a specific career (36.5%) or because they thought an apprenticeship was a good way to develop work-related skills (24.8%).

Base: All young people doing an apprenticeship (202)

Young people were also asked why they applied to other work-based training, and most commonly said it was because they wanted to enter into or progress in a specific career (44.4%) or to gain a qualification (24.8%).

4.6 Young people not in education, employment or training

One in ten (10.2%) young people were not in education, employment or training^[11]. This was more common among young disabled people than young non-disabled people (15.7% compared with 6.8%). As in Figure 4‑G, this was also more common among those in the most deprived areas (15.7% in SIMD 1 compared with 6.0% in SIMD 5).

Base: All young people (2355); SIMD quintile 1 – 20% most deprived (423); 2 (400); 3 (385); 4 (558); SIMD quintile 5 – 20% least deprived (589)

4.6.1 Whether those not in education, employment or training were looking for work^[12]

Young people not in education, employment or training were asked why they were not currently working and if they had looked for work in the previous four weeks. The main reasons given for not working were because of a health problem, injury or disability (23.1%), or because they could not find a job that was suitable (19.9%) or that interested them (19.9%). Being too busy with family (6.9%), not being able to find a job with sufficient flexibility (6.9%) and issues with travel to work (4.6%) were less common and a very small proportion said they would be worse off financially if they started to work (1.6%). Young people were most likely to not be working for some other reason not listed (35.5%).

Half (50.6%) of young people not in education, employment or training had not looked for any kind of paid work in the previous four weeks. Those who had not looked for work in the last four weeks were asked what they were currently doing. Most commonly they were waiting for an education course, apprenticeship or training course to start (35.5%) with some waiting for exam or course results (10.4%) or now looking for paid work (10%). A further 6.6% were waiting for the result of an application to an education or training course or an apprenticeship, 4.9% were waiting for a job to start and 2.9% were looking for an education or training course, while 42.0% were doing something else not listed.

A little over half (51.9%) of young people not in education, employment or training had been given help with finding a job or training course in the previous 12 months. That support mainly came from family and friends (62.2% of those who said they had received support). One in five (20.2%) had also received support from a Skills Development Scotland centre. Some had also had support from their college or school (14.4%), the My World of Work website (13.2%) or Jobcentre Plus (11.4%). Smaller proportions had received help from a charity (4.1%), a private company (2.5%), their local council (1.5%),an online resource other than My World of Work (1.6%) or another source (6.3%).

4.7 Income

As shown in Figure 4‑H, when asked about their total monthly income from all sources, 16.3% of young people reported an income of less than £100, 9.3% had an income of between £101 and £200, 13.9% between £201 and £500 and for 13.1% over £500.

Base: All young people who provided income information (2278)

Young women were more likely than young men to have some sort of income (57.3% compared with 47.9%). Their income was also generally higher: 31.5% of young women had a monthly income of £201 or more compared with 22.2% of young men.

Young disabled people were less likely than young non-disabled people to have any regular monthly income and among those who did, young disabled people tended to report lower incomes than young non-disabled people. Seven out of ten (70.4%) young disabled people had some sort of monthly income and four out of ten (39.7%) had a monthly income of £201 or more compared with 52.1% and 25.8% of young non-disabled people respectively.

4.7.1 Income from employment

Among young people who were currently in paid employment (Figure 4-I), most had a monthly take home pay of £201 to £500 (37.0%) or £501 or more (43.4%). A small proportion (4.2%) had an irregular pay period without a monthly equivalent.

Base: All young people currently in paid employment (1260)

Young men earned more from employment, 51.9% had a monthly take home pay of £501 or more compared with 36.5% of young women. Young disabled people were more likely than young non-disabled people to be paid in an irregular way (9.7% compared with 3.0%) and to earn lower wages (73.8% had monthly earnings of £201 or more compared with 80.7% of young non-disabled people). Young people in more deprived areas were more likely to earn £501 or more per month than those in less deprived areas - 54.2% in SIMD 1 compared with 32.6% in SIMD 5.

When asked, 38.1% of young people in paid employment said they were paid at or above the living wage (which was £9.50 per hour at the time of data collection).

4.7.2 Income from apprenticeships and training programmes

Of the young people doing an apprenticeship or training course, 70.2% were receiving regular payment for this. Young men doing an apprenticeship or training course were more likely to be receiving payment than young women (78.8% compared with 51.2%).

Amongst those receiving payments, 20.0% received £400 a month or less, 26.1% received between £401 and £799, 36.0% received £800-£1199 and 17.9% received £1200 or more.

4.7.3 Other income

Over half of young people (54.3%) received regular payment from a source other than employment or an apprenticeship or training course.

Figure 4‑J shows that the most common ‘other’ source was a ‘regular allowance, pocket money or other cash help from parents’ (35.0%) followed by an ‘educational maintenance allowance’ (10.5%) and ‘regular cash help from other relatives or friends outside the household’ (6.3%). A small proportion of young people received regular income from ‘state benefits’ (4.8%).

Base: All young people (2352)

Young women were more likely than young men to receive an allowance from their parents (38.5% compared with 31.5%) and/or ‘regular cash help from other relatives or friends outside the household’ (8.1% compared with 4.3%). Young disabled people were more likely than young non-disabled people to receive state benefits (19.0% compared with 1.5%) and/or an educational maintenance allowance (19.1% compared with 8.8%).

Young people in the most deprived areas were less likely than those in the least deprived areas to receive an allowance from their parents (29.0% in SIMD 1 compared with 42.4% in SIMD 5). Conversely, they were more likely to have income from state benefits (9.3% in SIMD 1 compared with 1.3% in SIMD 5), an educational maintenance allowance (22.4% in SIMD 1 compared with 4.3% in SIMD 5) or a bursary (9.3% in SIMD 1 compared with 1.3% in SIMD 5).