Explore barriers to self-employment with insights from volunteer Youth Ambassadors and Special Guests attending our Youth Voice Forum.
What are the barriers to self-employment and have they changed over the pandemic?
Answers to this important question have been compiled by young people and youth-friendly experts as part of our regular online Youth Voice Forum, with thanks to all attendees including Chair Charlotte Jeffreys, Special Guest Ellie Taylor, and our amazing volunteer Youth Ambassadors.
The pandemic has made it harder to risk employment security
Ed: I think the biggest barrier, in my opinion, is taking that leap and leaving that security of a day to day job.
Trying to target your local region can be hard
Ellie: One of my biggest barriers was the people in my area. A lot of my bookings are never in my area. I have tried very hard to target the business in my area but I don’t get much interest. I ran activity clubs in my area and over about 6 weeks, we had a total of around 10 children attend. I then took that same activity club to a different area and we had over 100 children in 6 weeks. It’s about not being afraid to venture out and take your business further afield.
Careers education on self-employment and entrepreneurship needs to improve
Josh: We’ve got a massive post-16 education reform going on, and a big part of that is careers education… yet I haven’t seen anything in there about self-employment.
If it’s not going to come down from the top to mandate schools, like there is now that mandates schools to offer technical education, is there a chance to similarly mandate self-employment and entrepreneurship education in schools?
Ed: Perhaps careers education is so segmented in terms of A Levels, university, or apprenticeships, that young people haven’t even considered self-employment as an option.
When you are the business, it can be hard to take time away from work – whether it’s availability or mindset
Pete: My brother has just welcomed a new baby daughter and now has the issue of taking some leave to spend time with her. He hasn’t got that support; he is the boss and looks after all the staff he takes on in his company. He could only afford to take 2 weeks off with first child, but now he can take two weeks off. However, it’s in the back of his mind that he’s not getting paid for that time. It’s also only been a couple of days and he’s already thinking about the business.
Volunteer with us
Would you like to volunteer with us if you are aged 16-24 and care about your future? You can build your skills, confidence, and CV online or at exciting local events near you as a volunteer Youth Ambassador. You can also take part in our regular Youth Voice Forum.
