One-fifth of the region's young people feel “unable to cope with life” since the pandemic, warns Prince’s Trust

More than one-fifth (21 per cent) of 16 to 25-year-olds in Great Manchester say they feel “unable to cope with life” since the pandemic, warns a new Prince’s Trust report today (Tuesday).

Half of young people in Greater Manchester (50 per cent) say their mental health has worsened since the start of the pandemic, while over half (52 per cent) say they “always” or “often” feel anxious. Two-thirds (68 per cent) also report feeling like they are “missing out on being young.”

The Prince’s Trust Tesco Youth Index, conducted by YouGov, gauges young people’s happiness and confidence levels across a range of areas, from their working life to their physical and mental health.

The research suggests that young people who are not in education, employment or training are even more likely to feel “unable to cope with life” and more likely to be experiencing anxiety.

The report also reveals that one in five of young people in Greater Manchester (22 per cent) do not feel confident about their future work.

Over half (54 per cent) say it is harder to ask for employment help as “everyone needs it at the moment”. 

62 per cent say that getting a new job feels impossible now because there's so much competition.

Andrew Ridge, Deputy Director of the North at The Prince’s Trust, said: “We have all faced difficulties over the past 12 months, but the pandemic has taken a devastating toll on young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

"They have faced a disrupted education, a shrinking jobs market and isolation from their friends and loved ones, and as a result, too many are losing all hope for the future.

"As ever, it is unemployed young people – and those with few qualifications and little confidence – who are worst affected.”

In Greater Manchester, one of the ways The Prince’s Trust is supporting local young people is through delivering the Future Workforce Fund (FWF) in partnership with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).

The FWF supports local young people like Kamil – particularly those who are not in education, employment or training – to build their confidence and skills for work.

Since it launched a year ago, the FWF has supported more than 2,000 young people across the city region.

Through this initiative, The Prince’s Trust are awarding two new funds to bolster support for local young people who are unemployed; The Digital Futures Fund and Greater Manchester Youth Employment Fund.

These funds will increase the scale of support provided to 16-25 year olds in being able to access and sustain employment and training opportunities at this critical time.

Through FWF, The Prince’s Trust has also partnered with Kooth, the UK’s leading digital mental health provider, to deliver free and anonymous online mental health support to young people up to the age of 25 in Greater Manchester.

Mr Ridge continued: “The Prince’s Trust will always be there for young people across the UK, giving them a lifeline to overcome the toughest of challenges.

"Through the Future Workforce Fund, we’re in the process of awarding £700,000 to support hundreds of young people across Greater Manchester through The Digital Futures Fund and GM Youth Employment Fund.

“At this critical time, we need businesses, government, and individuals to work with us to help as many vulnerable young people as possible.

"It is only by working together that we can stop this generation of young people giving up on their futures – and themselves.” 

The Prince’s Trust provides support for young people’s mental wellbeing across all of its programmes and its youth support workers are online every day to help those in need.

The Prince’s Trust helped more than 70,000 young people last year to build the confidence and skills they need to realise their potential. 

The employability courses offered by The Trust, which are run both in person and online, give young people the practical and financial support needed to stabilise their lives. 

Three in four young people on Prince’s Trust programmes move into work, education or training.

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