'Too much of an emphasis on young people's grades'

A local recruiter is encouraging employers to look beyond school grades and help young people get into work experience or part-time employment.

Kenieta Domaille, of the Situations Recruitment Agency, said: "If somebody hasn't got those grades, it really doesn't mean that they're not going to be capable.

"I think that all we can do as a society is shift our thinking and speak to young people and encourage them... instead of looking at a piece of paper and saying: 'Well, they can't do this.'"

The government said it was "committed to ensuring" young people had the "opportunity to reach their potential".

Brooke, 17, said she found employers focused a lot on grades, saying: "I had was my GCSE grades and they were fine, but they weren't like above and beyond."

"It is bit disheartening because I felt like I was searching [for work] for ages."

Brooke said she would encourage employers to look at the bigger picture.

She said: "Schedule an in-person chat because I feel, like once you get to know someone, you can really see if you want them on your team or not; rather than just looking at people's grades and results because that doesn't really mean anything in the grand scheme of things."

Domaille said there was a lack of confidence in young people trying to get into work and "too much of an emphasis on grades".

She also said she did not "always feel that young people really believe in themselves anymore".

She said that was an attitude that "needs to change" if Guernsey was to attract young people into its workforce.

Amelie, 17 said, despite working part-time, it had not been an easy process.

"They'll have adverts up looking for people, and then you apply and they just don't really reply.

"We need experience at this age because, when we do go and get our full-time jobs, we'll have no experience if we don't get work now".

She believed, at her current age, grades were all they really had to "sell themselves on".

Figures from a report in the UK revealed more than one million young people were not in education, employment or training (Neet) - the highest level in more than 12 years.

In Guernsey, data for March showed that, then, there were thirty-nine 16 to 18-year-olds receiving financial support for not being in work, with three on a training scheme.

For 20 to 29-year-olds, that was 96, with 15 on a training scheme.

Deputy Sally Rochester said a number of issues in the report were similar to Guernsey, such as a "lack of available entry-level part-time and apprenticeship opportunities".

"This issue is one that we should start thinking really hard about now to prevent it becoming a problem," Rochester said.

She added she would like to see "a more coordinated action across government to make sure that our young people have every opportunity in both in education and in employment".

Dr Galya Gerina, from St Julian's Dental Clinic, is due to open her practice later this year.

After speaking to her own teenage son, she decided to advertise for a trainee nurse in the hope to offer young people a career opportunity.

She said the chance to train while they worked "could have been a nice start in life", especially for those who "have no clue what's next in their life out of the school".

However, weeks after advertising for the position, Dr Gerina said she was "surprised" to only have applications from non-locals.

Dr Gerina said perhaps the aspirations of young people were "not in a professional-area job; they are somewhere out of it".

Mark Gannon, service lead for Benefits and Work Support for the States of Guernsey, said: "We are committed to ensuring that every young person has the opportunity to reach their potential.

"Through programmes such as Work2Benefit, work placements, volunteering opportunities, work trials and skills training, we already support young people into employment."

Watie, 17, said she felt like there was a sense people her age "don't really take things seriously".

"Take the chance and hire the teenager," she said.

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