BBC Breakfast: Why Young People Are Not The Problem

On the day new figures showed the number of young people not in education, employment or training had surpassed one million, BREAKOUT founder Roman Dibden joined BBC Breakfast alongside Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt to discuss what sits behind the statistics.

The interview formed part of the BBC’s coverage of Alan Milburn’s newly published review into youth opportunity and growing concerns around the increasing number of young people feeling disconnected from education, employment and their future.

Whilst much of the national conversation focused on the scale of the challenge, Roman used the opportunity to highlight something often missing from the debate: the human stories behind the headlines.

Because behind every statistic is a real young person trying to navigate rejection, uncertainty and opportunity whilst trying to figure out where they fit.

Watch the full interview below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAawoojDyoE

The interview also featured as part of the BBC’s live coverage of the publication of Alan Milburn’s review into youth opportunity.

“Nobody Stopped To Ask Why”

During the interview, Roman reflected on his own experience of growing up around instability, his mum becoming seriously unwell and being permanently excluded from school at 14.

Looking back, what stands out most is that whilst a lot of focus was placed on the behaviour, very few people stopped to ask why.

The reality was that he was regularly missing school to attend consultant appointments with his mum.

It is a theme he believes still plays out too often today.

Young people are frequently labelled as disengaged, hard to reach or lacking ambition without enough focus on the challenges, circumstances and pressures they may be carrying underneath,

We are often quick to ask what is wrong with young people, without first asking what might have happened to them.

The Power of One Person

One of the most powerful moments in the interview came when Roman spoke about his former careers advisor, Linda.

Following the death of his mum, Linda remembered him.

Months later, she reached back out and shared an apprenticeship opportunity she believed would be right for him.

The opportunity would go on to completely change the trajectory of his life.

She didn’t have to do that. But she chose to.

It is why Roman often says that young people experience systems through relationships.

Behind so many positive outcomes is often a trusted adult, mentor, employer, teacher, careers advisor or community leader who chooses to invest in somebody’s potential.

Sometimes one person remembering you can change everything.

The Pathway Into Work is Becoming Increasingly Fragile

The fact that more than one million young people now sit outside education, employment or training should concern all of us.

But perhaps even more concerning is that this issue is no longer confined to the young people society traditionally expects to struggle.

Increasingly, BREAKOUT is seeing young people who have gone to school, attended college, completed university and seemingly done everything “right” still struggle to access meaningful opportunities afterwards.

That is not simply a question of ambition.

It is increasingly a question of connectivity. The pathway between young people and opportunity is becoming more fragile.

For many young people, repeated rejection slowly chips away at confidence, self-belief and their sense of what is possible.

Eventually, rejection stops feeling like rejection from employers and starts becoming rejection of yourself.

Employers Are Part Of The Solution

Roman was also clear during the interview that employers should be heard and not viewed as the enemy in this conversation.

Many employers genuinely want to support young people and create meaningful pathways into employment. However, they are also navigating rising costs, changing labour markets and significant operational pressures of their own.

The challenge is how we better join the dots between young people, employers and opportunity in a way that feels practical, relational and sustainable for everyone involved.

At BREAKOUT, we believe employers, communities and young people all have a vital role to play in creating solutions together.

Because no single organisation will solve this challenge alone.

A Message To Young People

If there is one message Roman hoped young people would take away from the interview, it is this:

There is nothing wrong with you.

If you are currently feeling stuck, rejected, disconnected from opportunity or unsure what comes next, you are not alone.

There are people, employers, mentors and communities across the country working to rebuild these pathways and create better opportunities for the next generation.

Your current circumstances do not define your future and your potential is far greater than any label placed upon you.

Why BREAKOUT Exists

Over the past decade, Roman has worked alongside thousands of young people as they navigate the transition from education into employment.

Through that work, one issue became impossible to ignore: too many young people are being left to navigate increasingly complex pathways into opportunity alone.

At a certain point, commentary alone stopped feeling enough.

That is why BREAKOUT was born.

BREAKOUT exists to rebuild the pathway between young people and opportunity by bringing together employers, communities and young people to create more connected, human and sustainable routes into work.

YOUNG PEOPLE ARE NOT THE PROBLEM.

THE SYSTEM IS.