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Perceived effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on educational progress and the learning of job skills: new evidence on young adults in the United Kingdom

Year: 2022

Type: article

Abstract: We present new evidence on the pandemic’s effects on youth, for the first time focusing on perceived effects on the learning of job skills, as well as on education. The context is post-Brexit Britain. We find that 47% of young people in a representative sample perceive a loss of learning of job skills, while a sizeable minority (17%) judge that the pandemic improved matters. The perception of skill loss is worse among those encountering Covid directly, and far worse among those in school, college or university than among those in employment. Among those in education, loss of learning of job skills is higher among those experiencing only online learning, but lower for those who have had some work experience. Among those in employment, loss of learning is mitigated by training, which dropped sharply at the start of the pandemic but recovered and thereafter deviated little from its long-term trend. Neither the average amount of training, nor the perception of loss of learning, were affected by being placed on ‘furlough’ leave. Finally, perceptions of loss of learning of job skills were greater for women than for men, and greater in Wales and Scotland than in England and Northern Ireland.

Source: Journal of Education and Work

DOI: 10.1080/13639080.2022.2092608

Authors: Francis Green, Golo Henseke, Ingrid Schoon

Institution: University College London

Language: English

Topic: Education during COVID-19 pandemic

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Quality education, Reduced inequalities, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: UK Research and Innovation, Economic and Social Research Council