The recession is over, but all is not well. Youth unemployment levels (aged 16 - 24) remain startlingly high, up 1% to 21% at the start of this year. Job vacancies, however, are on the increase and older workers are returning in their thousands to the labour market. Salaries too are on the rise. So why are these young people being left behind?

A new report by the Prince’s Trust, Broke, not Broken: Tackling youth poverty and the aspiration gap, has a go at identifying the cause of the problem. The Prince’s Trust aims to ‘change young lives’ and has a budget of £40 million a year with which to do so. Broke, not Broken seeks to investigate ‘the impact of youth poverty on young people’s aspirations and self-belief’. The report makes no clear recommendations per se. A cynic might wonder if the exercise was carried out purely for the promotion of its sponsor (who shall remain nameless - you want an ad on ThinkBase, you pay).

2,311 people aged 16-24 were surveyed. These included young people from affluent families as well as those on the poverty line, allowing an effective comparison. (Economic backgrounds were distinguished by family means of income (employment, benefits, or a mix), car ownership (and, where appropriate, age of car), house tenure, free school meals, parental income and qualifications.)

The findings of the report suggest that there is a clear gap between rich and poor in terms of their aspirations. Generally, all respondents wanted to work, and the majority (78%), regardless of background, agreed that finding a good job was a key priority in life. 22% of those from poorer backgrounds, however, felt that their goals were unachievable (this compares to just 5% of those from more affluent families) and that ‘people like them don’t succeed in life’ and likely live on benefits. This is not ‘Kevin the teenager’ we’re dealing with, but a vast number of teens and young adults who have never had their own bed, who didn’t have books lying around the home, access to the internet, a computer or a desk at all. Many of these individuals didn’t have regularly cleaned school uniforms either. If you can remember the cruelty of children, you will know that all these things can lead to bullying, which often leads to lack of motivation to get up in the morning. 16% of those growing up in poverty are made fun of by their own friends and family when they talk about potentially finding a good job. That has got to do damage to anyone’s confidence.

The case studies included in this report all present ‘happy endings’, suggesting that the Prince’s Trust provide the solution to this significant, national problem. This may well be the case, and as the report calls on ‘Government and businesses to work even more closely with charities to improve social mobility and raise aspirations’, perhaps the Trust’s model is one that could be rolled out to great effect.

None of the findings are likely to raise your eyebrows, but the research does go some way to defining and articulating the problem faced by so many young people today. This would work well as a ‘signpost’ for more research - establishing which areas should be addressed as priority, what changes might have greatest impact and where existing policy is failing. Given that the research found all young people to share ‘similarly high aspirations’, the fact that these fade with time for those living in poverty suggests that something can (and should) be done.

This report is well presented, written and publicised (it landed in my inbox through Epolitix), uncontroversial and somewhat predictable. It has spent a significant amount of money (albeit provided by a commercial sponsor) to survey a couple of thousand young people and provide evidence for a demand for the Trust’s work. It concludes by summarising the report findings that ‘thousands of vulnerable young people are growing up believing that they will never be able to escape the cycle of poverty and disadvantage’ and reminds us of the courses available through the Trust. It fails to reveal new information or make tangible recommendations, as any effective research should, and misses the opportunity to use these figures proactively.

Those growing up in poverty are more likely to want to start their own business (25% compared to 19% of those from wealthier families), but few believe they can actually do it. This would be an excellent starting point, for example, for impact-orientated, meaningful research and an area in which role models are plentiful (Alan Sugar, JK Rowling, Derek Trotter...). The economy relies on entrepreneurs and small businesses, and although we might be our own greatest critics, we might also be the only people willing to hire ourselves without a GCSE in maths. Why not get some research done on that and get it into schools, homes and Westminster?

Young people from poorer families are less likely to exercise or eat well and, as a result, probably ‘feel unwell’ more regularly than their wealthier counterparts. What’s Jamie Oliver up to these days? What does Richard Branson have for breakfast and how does he keep fit? Exercise doesn’t have to cost anything. How can we get these young bodies fit and contributing to the economy?

Headlines this year have informed us of the high youth unemployment rates. The Prince’s Foundation has identified a serious problem surrounding the aspirations of our young. The bridge linking the two pieces of evidence amount to a significant missed opportunity. So come on, let’s get our heads together and think a little. Do we know any research organisations that have a particular interest in education, economics and understand the challenges faced with starting a new business? No? Oh well.

Sara Fakhro is the voice of ThinkBase.