A stark new report created by youngsters in Longbenton has highlighted how barriers to getting stable jobs leave many under-25s fearing a "bleak" future.

Mental health was also cited as a real and worsening issue. The report was delivered to the Houses of Parliament last week by the group of young people who themselves produced it - surveying 140 of their peers in the Longbenton area. The project, led by the Justice Prince CIC organisation which works to improve opportunities in that area, was funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority and has been backed by North Tyneside MP Mary Glindon and elected mayor Dame Norma Redfearn.

Between May and September this year, the Barriers to Employment research project offered bespoke support to young people looking for jobs, and also identified the key issues that stop young people getting into the workforce. The findings included that a lack of experience and a lack of opportunities to gain skills was a major barrier.

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Eight youngsters led the project and spoke with 140 of their peers - all of whom were either not in education, training or employment (NEET) or at risk of becoming so.

One young woman's heartbreaking testimony was included in the report. She said she'd been involved with social services, the youth justice team and the exploitation team, and while the staff themselves were "proper canny" there was little practical help.

She said: "Workers are proper canny, not all like, but they do their best; but it never actually changes anything. Well, that’s not true, they help loads with emergency food and help paying bills and stuff. They encourage you to talk about your feelings and suggest you have a bath to relax and make a cup of tea. It makes me laugh, cos, I feel like saying hot baths and boiling kettles isn’t an option – no money on the gas!

"The future is proper bleak, no job, no money, think am destined for a miserable life. Just sometimes makes you wonder what is the point of getting out of bed – same crap different day. It makes you feel down, depressed and sad because you cannot see a way out. Something somewhere needs to change."

The woman said that she hoped she could be a midwife, but that she could only really see the future improving if they left the area.

In the wider report, many of the young people said "suffered social anxiety and poor mental health" and that "the pandemic severely impacted their confidence and sense of well-being and belonging".

Other issues identified in the report included that:

• 45% found the cost of travel an impediment to getting work - and that it was cost, not distance, that made travelling to find work difficult.
• More than 40% cited their mental health and more than 30% cited a lack of self-confidence as barriers to employment Another young person said: “It makes you feel down, depressed and sad because you cannot see a way out. Something somewhere needs to change.”
• Young people want to see improved access to mental health services as well as increased resources for mental health teams.
• They also urged employers to treat young people with respect and providing meaningful and bespoke training for vulnerable young people.

Dame Norma Redfearn said: "I am proud that we are a council, and borough that listens to and cares for all our young people. This is a brilliant, insightful piece of work and I would like to thank all the young people that have contributed towards the report.

"I am passionate about creating a borough that allows all young people to thrive, to unlock their potential and realise their dreams. In this report they have told us honestly and openly about barriers that will prevent them from doing this, we must listen, we must act on what they have told us and collectively make changes that remove these barriers."

Mary Glindon MP said she had been looking forward to welcoming the team to the House of Commons and added; "It is so important that MPs and Peers can hear directly, from my constituents, the issues they face on a day-to-day basis that present economic and employment challenges in their lives.”

The report forms part of Justice Prince’s Barriers to Employment project, supporting young people aged 16-24. Justice Prince CIC has thanked the Longbenton Youth Forum for support, along with James McDonald, Tyler Ness, Chaz Fairbairn, Elle Falls, Declan Wilson . Ryan Carr. Cameron Slater, Kerry Embleton, Rachel Rose. Caitlin Dalgleish, Scott Dalgleish and Kie Barrett.