Graduate tax grab by stealth

Graduates have been slapped with an increase to Plan 2 and postgraduate student loan repayments by stealth, which could cost an average earning graduate an additional £110 per year, writes IF volunteer Alana McSkimming Freezing the threshold The Government has announced plans to freeze the student loan repayment threshold. Although this may elicit a sigh… Read more »

Two years of COVID-19: the pandemic, young people and what next?

Almost two years have passed since COVID-19 was declared a public health emergency by the WHO. IF’s digital campaigns officer Liam Hill analyses how the pandemic, the lockdowns and other restrictions have affected young people in the UK, and asks what can be done to address the issues they face. Two years of turmoil It… Read more »

Overqualified and underemployed: a sombre snapshot of the labour market for young people

Graduates are leaving university with scant prospects, feeling let down by policy-makers and waking up to the generational divide. Carlotta Hartmann, IF Intern, investigates the labour market pressures facing young Brits today Graduates feeling let down Young people across OECD countries have been disproportionately affected by the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to… Read more »

The Brexit Generation: five years on

It is now five years since the EU Referendum result, five years along the path towards the “sunlit uplands” promised by those that supported Brexit. Liz Emerson, IF Co-founder, investigates what benefits have been delivered for the UK’s young people.

Why lockdown students are short-changed

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released research findings into the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Higher Education students, in collaboration with Universities UK, Public Health England, the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Education as well as a selection of universities. Liz Emerson, IF Co-founder, investigates the… Read more »

To a graduate of 2020 from a graduate of 2009

Creative writing can be a tool to release anxiety, find clarity and share perspectives on difficult issues. IF supporter Josephine Robertson, a graduate of 2009, writes an empathetic letter to new graduates on intergenerational legacy and adjusting expectations. Focusing on these revised expectations, and having an empathetic listening ear between generations, may yet deliver fulfilment… Read more »