Flora is the latest young person to join our peer panel.

The peer panel is a group of 18-to-30-year-olds who represent and share young people’s views and expectations with employers to help them become attractive to future generations. Meet Flora…

Hi, I’m Flora.

I have a 2:1 BA degree in publishing and digital culture and also did English certification in Scotland and business certification in Australia. I am currently finishing my apprenticeship and working as a digital marketing executive. I struggled to find a job within my chosen industry for years and ended up working in a number of hospitality jobs to support myself. I also worked at the youth company and mentored a team of young people.

My ambition is to become a creative director in the future and work with diverse teams across the globe. 

I’ve decided to join the peer panel because I think this is a great opportunity to work with employers and help them create a more youth-friendly working environment that will benefit young people and help to tackle youth unemployment.

My message for employers

Everyone starts somewhere, but not everyone remembers the time they did.

As someone who struggled to find a job in my chosen industry for years, I can’t stress enough how important it is to look beyond people’s CVs and whether they tick off certain boxes during the hiring process. 

I have witnessed so many young people giving up their dream careers despite having wonderful skills and knowledge just because they didn’t have the required years of experience or got stressed during an interview. Because of that, every day we’re now losing potential and talent on a scale that probably can never be measured. 

Future entrepreneurs, innovators and very hard-working individuals constantly get their doors closed just because they didn’t get enough support, feedback or time. I think it’s about time employers stopped asking young people ‘Can you do X and Y’ and asked themselves instead ‘What can they do and how far can they go if I offer them the right guidance and support?’ Because if young people are the future as everyone likes to say, then why are organisations so scared to invest in them? If we don’t invest in young people, then who else should we invest in?

My top tips

• Young people’s CVs and interview skills are often not the greatest which prevents them from finding jobs. Even if you don’t plan on hiring your candidate, providing them with feedback can completely change their job searching outcomes
• Any tech skills and software can be learned with the right support. Good soft skills such as enthusiasm, work ethic, motivation and passion are more difficult to obtain
• Look out for talent, not just experience. Every person has talent but not every young person has had a chance to develop it or prove it.

By young people, for young people

Since launching, we have listened to young people and shared valuable insights on their views with businesses.

More recently young people have designed, built and delivered assessments for businesses and contributed to our training events.

Now the peer panel will help us make our future vision a reality which is to have Access Generation run by young people, for young people.

The peer panel members represent the voice of young people, help us to validate our research findings and promote a campaign to change the recruitment processes.

For employers

Access Generation exists to help employers to understand how to attract the next generation with research, resources and support provided by young people.

• Research – download our latest Employment Accessibility Report (PDF)
• Resources – guidance from young people
• Support – let us work for you
• Who we work with – testimonials and case studies