According to a recent report, there are more young people enrolled in college or in training than ever before. The percentage of 16 to 18 year olds that take classes is over 82 percent. That is a three percent increase from just last year.
There are several reasons why this increase is so important. First and most obviously is the fact that education and training gives youngsters more options, particularly in a bad economy. At present, the unemployment rate for young people in the 16-18 year-old age group is at its highest level in a decade and a half. Less than half of them are employed, which is down from nearly two-thirds in 2007.
What this tells us is that without an education or proper training, young people simply cannot compete in a bad economy. Even without designer childrens clothing these youngsters rarely succeed without a diploma. Their unemployment rate has been the highest in the UK for decades now.
Fortunately, more young people are making the choice to either receive training or stay in school. Still, the percentage of youngsters that are not receiving training, an education or a steady salary rose to an annual high of 10.3 percent last month. This is due mostly to the increase in the unemployment numbers, since more young people are choosing to remain in school.
Though training programs remain quite popular, most of the gains have been made in education. Nearly seventy percent of 16-18 year-olds in the UK attend school fulltime. That's up from just fifty-seven percent less than a decade ago. Most educators and economists agree that the recession is to thank for increased enrollment numbers.