Health & Fitness Our Post-Pandemic Future Depends On Putting Young People First In Any Recovery Plan

When previous generations passed into adulthood, rites of passage signalled the start of a new and hopeful horizon, whether learning to drive, going to university, getting your first full-time job or taking time out to travel the world.

But sadly for young people today the world they are emerging into is one where instability, uncertainty and sparse opportunity is the new normal.

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Lockdown rules: The friends and family you can meet from this Wednesday

For the first time since the coronavirus lockdown was imposed on 23 March, people have been granted permission to meet people from outside their households. As of Wednesday, people will be able to meet family and friends in outdoor spaces such as parks. With the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) causing significant global disruption in 2020, the U.K. responded by announcing strict country-wide measures aimed at slowing the spread of the virus.

“ People who’ve gone through trauma or struggle in the way that we are experiencing now, that In addition to describing greater levels of empathy and personal wellbeing, David says that people who live Historically, responses to pandemics have followed a pattern of five stages, one of which is the

The pandemic is inflicting a triple shock on young people . Not only is it destroying their employment, but it is also disrupting education and training, and If their talent and energy is side-lined by a lack of opportunity or skills it will damage all our futures and make it much more difficult to re-build a better

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Having grown up in the shadow of the 2008 crash and austerity, young people now face the daunting prospect of starting their adult lives in the wake of a global pandemic and subsequent global recession, which expects to see one million young people facing unemployment as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. 

I surveyed thousands of people aged between 16-24 year olds for a major study for HOPE not hate and found widespread pessimism and high levels of anxiety.

Coronavirus could take FIVE YEARS to bring under control warns WHO's chief scientist

Soumya Swaminathan, the WHO's chief scientist, told the FT's Global Boardroom digital conference that the virus could be 'under control' within a four to five-year timeframe.But with hopes of an end to the pandemic dependent on containing the virus and development of an effective vaccine, other experts have dampened expectations of putting a date on curbing the virus.

Since we cannot know exactly what young people will need to know to thrive, the most important thing may be that their education helps them learn how to learn, including: How to pay attention: learning requires the ability to focus. The technology that saturates kids’ worlds today offers constant

Apply a people - first mindset. The very first priority of an organization during a pandemic should be From a pandemic planning perspective, companies should pay closer attention to the geographical If pandemic planning considerations have not been incorporated into existing business continuity

Businesspeople having a business meeting at coffee table There was a bleakness for the future with half of young people not expecting to be in a good job or have somewhere decent to live in five years time. A majority feel that the coronavirus outbreak has limited their options for the future. 

Lockdown has already taken a toll, particularly for young people from low income backgrounds, in precarious work or living independently, struggling financially. 12% of young people in households with an income of £10,000 or less have got into debt, 11% have lost their jobs, 10% have struggled to pay their rent, and 9% have applied for Universal Credit. For young people living in house or flat shares, 26% had dipped into their savings, 24% had been furloughed, and 18% had struggled to pay their rent.  

So it’s unsurprising that the pressures of everyday life weigh heavy for young people. More than half state mental health in the three greatest issues they personally face, with young women most likely to feel concerned; 65% say the coronavirus outbreak has had a negative impact on their mental wellbeing.

Flying into the height of madness: No checks on illegal BA holidaymakers leaving and none coming back as THOUSANDS arrive every day - no wonder we're the sick man of Europe!

SIAN BOYLE: British Airways alone offers holiday deals across the US and Europe, as well as Mexico, Japan and Hong Kong. Many flights are sold out - including business class. Following the rapid spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) throughout the world in 2020, the U.K. responded by implementing a series of stringent measures from mid-March onwards. Three days after ordering schools across the country to close indefinitely, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced strict social distancing measures on March 23, which were extended a further three weeks on April 16.

2. What is your action plan to bounce back? 3. How will your culture and organizational identity be changed by the crisis? We hear of many firms that are questioning their viability post - pandemic If our content helps you to contend with coronavirus and other challenges, please consider subscribing

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected educational systems worldwide, leading to the near-total Rather, the CDC only recommended testing people who are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms or who Burkina Faso closed all preschool, primary, post -primary and secondary, professional and university

Business office executives are interviewing job applicants in the meeting room. Moreover, many young people are feeling alienated, distanced from a political system which they don’t feel represents them. The costs of the coronavirus outbreak are fuelling the risk for widespread youth disaffection. Our research showed how anxieties about the post-pandemic future are opening up generational divides. A majority (67%) of young people agree that their generation will pay the price for a pandemic that has mostly affected older people; just 8% disagreed with this.

But there are also divisions among young people which could spill over as the economic impacts hit, and inequalities widen. While around half of young people fall into groups with overtly progressive values, with some more politically active and others driven by their own interests, around a quarter are more apathetic, but another quarter hold more reactionary or small ‘c’ conservative views. 

Gallery: Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak around the world (Photo Services)

While comfortable young graduates might be feeling uneasy about the future, other research suggests that their suffering in recessions is short lived compared with those with few qualifications or from low income backgrounds. The divisions we see in broader society are amplified among a generation who have grown up online, where some are finding refuge by playing on identity politics through a frustrated sense of entitlement – rejecting “political correctness”, embracing anti-feminism and nursing a sense of nationalistic victimhood.

Businesswoman wearing protective face mask and holding banner with Need Work inscription while taking a part in public demonstrations during COVID-19 epidemic. There is a clear need for a recovery plan to support young people through the Covid-19 pandemic, and the long-term consequences it will have. This not only needs to address the economic impact on young people’s employment and financial security, but also on their wellbeing and their ability to feel valued in society. 

Social divisions are not simply generational, it’s not as clear cut as young “snowflakes” attacking “out-of-touch” Boomers. Divisions are built on the unequal foundations of what we think we can expect in life, a combination of what we feel entitled to and the opportunities available to us to get there. 

Young people are facing a perfect storm of disaffection which will only widen social divisions. A recovery plan that prioritises the ability for all young people to thrive is critical.  

Stay alert to stop coronavirus spreading - here is the latest government guidance. If you think you have the virus, don't go to the GP or hospital, stay indoors and get advice online. Only call NHS 111 if you cannot cope with your symptoms at home; your condition gets worse; or your symptoms do not get better after seven days. In parts of Wales where 111 isn't available, call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47. In Scotland anyone with symptoms is advised to self-isolate for seven days. In Northern Ireland, call your GP.