Stop Locking a Generation Out of Work and Security

By Iesha Heads

Iesha, a member of the SPARK community, recently graduated from Leeds Trinity University with a First Class Honours degree in Digital Marketing. However, her frustrations with the job market have led her to set up a petition on Change.org.

She writes

To the UK Government and Members of Parliament

Thousands of young people are graduating from UK universities every year full of skills, ambition, and energy to contribute to society. But instead of doors opening, they are walking straight into closed-off job markets, exploitative “entry-level” roles that require years of experience, and financial instability that threatens their futures.

At the very moment we most need graduates to contribute to our economy and communities, they are being pushed into despair, poverty, and long-term disadvantage.

The Crisis Facing Graduates

Graduates are applying for hundreds of jobs and getting nowhere, ghosted by recruiters, or told they can only access apprenticeships beneath their qualifications.

“Entry-level” postings often demand 2–3 years’ experience, creating a paradox where young people cannot start their careers because they have not already had one.

Exploitative unpaid or “voluntary” roles are being passed off as work, benefitting only those wealthy enough to survive without income.

The result? Thousands of capable, qualified graduates are stuck in limbo, unable to afford rent, unable to save, and relying on short-term work or struggling without any security.

And shockingly, many new graduates are not even eligible for Universal Credit, the UK’s basic safety net for those out of work. This means even after years of study, hard work, and debt, they are left without the financial support needed to cover essentials while they search for jobs.
This is not “character-building.” It is systemic failure!

Why It Matters
This is not just about individual graduates. It is a generational issue and an economic one.
When graduates cannot afford to live, they cannot take career-building opportunities.
When talent is wasted, productivity and innovation across the UK suffer.
When a whole generation is locked out of work and security, inequality deepens, mental health worsens, and society fractures.

What We’re Demanding
The Government must act now by:
1. Ensuring all graduates are automatically eligible for Universal Credit if they are actively seeking work.
2. Creating graduate-specific employment support routes within the Department for Work and Pensions, tailored to modern industries rather than directing degree-holders into underqualification schemes.
3. Setting clear standards for recruiters and job boards to end misleading “entry-level” adverts demanding experience, expired listings, and exploitative unpaid work.
4. Developing graduate employment programmes offering fairly paid roles that build careers in digital, creative, and emerging industries, where many young people are trained but opportunities are scarce.

A Voice from the Ground
One graduate who recently wrote to her MP explains:
“I graduated with a First-Class Honours Degree in Digital Marketing. Since then, I have applied for over 600 roles, reached out to agencies, gone door-to-door with my CV and still no stable job. Employers demand experience I couldn’t possibly have, job posts are fake or expired, and I’m pushed toward schemes beneath my qualification. I cannot afford rent, cannot save, and Universal Credit was almost out of reach. This isn’t just my story, it’s the story of thousands like me. We want to contribute, but the system is shutting us out.”
This voice is not unique. It represents a generation shouting for help, dignity, and opportunity.

Call to Action
We were raised to believe that if we worked hard, studied, and earned qualifications, opportunity would follow. Instead, thousands face exclusion, instability, and exploitation.
It’s time to give graduates the safety net and support they deserve.
By signing this petition, you are calling on the UK Government to:
 Guarantee Universal Credit access to all graduates seeking work
 Stop exploitative job practices
 Create pathways that match graduate skills to meaningful opportunities
This generation has done its part. Now the Government must do theirs!

Use this link if you want to sign the petition

Petition · Let Recent Graduates Access Universal Credit – United Kingdom · Change.org