ONE of Britain's best-known charities says more than one in three young people in Hampshire fear the coronavirus pandemic has ruined their future.

According to the Prince's Trust, almost 40% of people aged 16-25 suspect they will never get a job thanks to soaring unemployment caused by the crisis.

And nearly a third of young people in the county claim their goals now seem impossible to achieve.

Daily Echo:

A huge number of jobs have already been lost, mainly in the retail and hospitality sectors, and many more are expected to disappear when the furlough scheme ends next month. Some experts fear the unemployment total could eventually exceed four million.

The Prince's Trust is urging employers and government ministers to act now to prevent what it describes as a "lost generation".

The charity says it sought the views of 2,000 people aged 16-25 across the UK.

According to the findings 62% of those surveyed in Hampshire are "scared" about being unemployed and 39% are worried they will never get a job.

More than 30% say they could find it impossible to achieve their goals and 38% feel they will never succeed in life.

When young people were asked about education, employment and training 38% said they had abandoned their aspirations for the year ahead and 40% said their aspirations were lower as a result of the pandemic.

The findings also suggest that young people not in education, employment or training are even more likely to have abandoned their ambitions for the year ahead.

Daily Echo:

Rozzy Amos, regional director of the Prince’s Trust said: "The findings show the pandemic has done more than disrupt vital education, training and job opportunities for young people across Hampshire; it has eroded their confidence in their future prospects, to a point where some feel they won’t ever be able to succeed in life.

“It's truly a responsibility for all of us to ensure the odds don’t stay stacked against this generation, by supporting them to upskill, retrain and access job opportunities.

"Or else we risk losing their ambition and potential to long-term unemployment, to the detriment of their futures and the recovery of our economy. Government, employers and charities must work together and act now to prevent a lost generation.”

The Prince’s Trust has supported one million young people since it was founded by the Prince of Wales in 1976.

As part of its response to the Covid crisis, the Trust has launched a scheme which aims to match employers with young people who are ready to work now.