Three parts of Bristol have much higher numbers of young people who are not working, studying or training than the rest of the city. New figures show the shocking divide between richer and poorer parts of Bristol, with some areas home to many who struggle to find a job.
The top three wards for young people not in education, employment or training are: Hartcliffe and Withywood with 71; Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston with 70; and Filwood with 53. The figures raise questions about how schools, colleges and opportunities differ across Bristol.
Bristol City Council has a legal duty to encourage and help young people aged 16 and 17 to take part in education or training. An update on this work was given to councillors on the children and young people policy committee on Thursday, March 6.
Labour Councillor Kerry Bailes, representing Hartcliffe and Withywood, said: “We want to encourage young people to go to university, but it’s really difficult when even things like finding work experience placements are really difficult. We want to raise aspirations and we want young people in Hartcliffe going to university, but it’s just not happening.”
Labour Cllr Susan Kollar, representing Bishopsworth, added: “Especially in areas like Hartcliffe and Withywood or other deprived areas, schools seem to think it’s OK for girls to be hairdressers or childcare workers, and boys to be mechanics. They’re not raising these aspirations or teaching our children that actually they can go to university.
“My youngest daughter didn’t sit a single GCSE, but she’s at university. So it’s not an impossible ask for children without that academic side to still achieve. We need to be showing that to our kids. They don’t have to be hairdressers — although I haven’t got anything against hairdressers, mine is fabulous. However that is not all there is, there are some fantastic jobs out there.”
One in six people, or 17.4 per cent, in Hartcliffe and Withywood have no formal qualifications, according to the council’s annual quality of life survey. That’s the highest percentage of wards across Bristol, with just 0.4 per cent in Clifton, or one in 200 people without a formal qualification.
Later this year the University of Bristol will open a micro-campus at the Gatehouse Centre in Hartcliffe, similar to an existing centre at the Wellspring Settlement in Barton Hill which opened in 2020. The micro-campus will offer short courses, youth training and space for new businesses.
Groundbreaking research from the university in 2018 found a lack of opportunities for students to study A-levels in some parts of the city, which plays a major role in the disparity between how many end up going to university. Poor bus services also prevent many from getting to college.
But these days simply going to university doesn’t guarantee a well-paid and stable job afterwards, while getting saddled with tens of thousands of pounds in debt is almost certain. Many firms have recently stopped or reduced their intake of hiring graduates fresh out of university.
Cllr Bailes said: “I know one young person who was in my daughter’s year at school, worked really hard, went to university, studied journalism, came back to Bristol, tried to get into that industry, and is now working in retail. There’s nothing wrong with working in retail, it’s a job at the end of the day.
“But all that hard work and aspiration, and they’re in the same position as if they didn’t go to university. It’s really sad that things just aren’t moving on for young people in my ward.”
Part of the work carried out by the council’s employment and skills service includes work experience placements and mentoring. One challenge however is attracting enough employers to provide placements and mentors. And there are serious skills shortages in the West of England region, including in making homes better insulated to cut down heating bills.
Green Cllr Shona Jemphrey said: “We need to retrofit all our houses, but we do not have enough trained people to do the retrofitting that’s required. There aren’t enough [people] being trained up.”