Serve Legal’s Response to the 2024 Youth Voice Census

The 2024 Youth Voice Census, conducted by Youth Employment UK, gathered insights from over 5,000 young people across the UK, providing valuable data on their experiences with education, work, and the challenges they face. At Serve Legal, we actively encouraged our auditors to participate and share their voice in this survey.

As a business committed to supporting youth-friendly employment, Serve Legal welcomes the findings of this report and is dedicated to addressing the key concerns raised. The census highlights significant issues such as financial worries, fair pay, and access to quality work, which further motivate Serve Legal to enhance its support for young employees and auditors.

Financial Worries and Accessibility in Education and Work

Many young people reported financial struggles that impacted their education and work decisions. The rising cost of living, travel, and staying in education or training has led to a decrease in young people considering university, down by 10 percentage points, with financial worries being the primary factor.

Serve Legal understands the financial pressures faced by young people. In our 2024 Auditor Satisfaction survey, most respondents rated our pay structure positively, with a 4/5-star rating. To increase this rating and auditor satisfaction, we have been encouraged to reassess our compensation for especially travel-related work. In addition to national living wage increases, we are reviewing fuel and mileage contributions to ensure auditors are fairly reimbursed for any additional costs incurred due to travel.

Career Development and Employer Engagement

In the census, young people reported limited access to career development resources in schools, such as CV workshops (19%) and employer site visits (8%), and only 4% said they would seek career advice from their employer.

At Serve Legal, we are committed to supporting the career development of our auditors and internal staff. In 2023, we held 14 career development drop-in sessions led by Area Managers, focusing on topics such as CV writing and career progression. Over 76% of our internal team are ex-auditors, with many having advanced to senior management and director-level positions within just eight years.

Entrepreneurship and Business Advice

Encouragingly, the census noted that 23% of young people are likely to start their own business. However, 47% of female respondents felt unlikely to pursue entrepreneurship, compared to 34% of male respondents.

To inspire young entrepreneurs, our CEO has been visiting Sixth Forms and Colleges to discuss the realities of starting a business. During these sessions, students have the opportunity to ask questions about entrepreneurship, funding strategies, and the challenges of turning an idea into a successful business opportunity. By engaging with young people directly, Serve Legal aims to inspire future entrepreneurs.

Ed Heaver, CEO of Serve Legal, commented, ‘As a business dedicated to empowering young people, the findings of the 2024 Youth Voice Census are both eye-opening and motivating. At Serve Legal, we are committed to addressing the challenges highlighted in the report; whether it's financial pressures, access to local opportunities, or career development. By listening to their voices, we can better create an environment where young people can thrive, regardless of their background, upbringing, experiences or location.’

Access to Local Opportunities and Flexibility in Employment

The Youth Employment Census highlight that only 10% of young people believe they will be able to access quality work where they live, with many expanding their job search to other regions due to limited local opportunities.

Serve Legal strives to ensure work is accessible to auditors nationwide. Our audits are spread across the country, and we offer full reimbursement for travel expenses, whether auditors use personal vehicles, public transportation, or green modes of travel. By covering these costs, we aim to ensure no auditor is disadvantaged due to their location.

Fair Pay and Training Opportunities

When considering employment, fair pay was the top priority for young people, with 84% stating it as their main concern. Opportunities for training and development were also highlighted as critical, with 56% of respondents prioritising this aspect.

Serve Legal auditors appreciate the unique opportunities we provide, with 78% of respondents in our survey indicating that our roles offer experiences not available in typical 9-to-5 jobs. Auditors cited various benefits, including quick pay, reimbursement for travel, flexibility in scheduling, and the diverse nature of audits. We remain committed to offering a rewarding and supportive work environment, with career development opportunities tailored to the needs of our young workforce.

Social Mobility and University Affordability

The Census revealed that 25% of young people eligible for free school meals are unlikely to apply to university, compared to 15% of those who are not eligible. Financial barriers are a key deterrent to higher education, with 57% rating the value for money at university as “very poor or poor.”

Serve Legal’s Social Mobility Survey of 2023 highlighted that nearly 20% of our auditors (or a dependent in their household) received free school meals at school. We know that auditing provides a flexible income stream that can help support students in funding their education; we are incredibly proud of our dedicated and hard working team of student auditors.

Additionally through the Serve Legal Foundation, which provides financial and career support for those pursuing higher education, we aim to show these auditors that their background does not limit their potential for success.

The release of this report is always important for the Serve Legal team to reevaluate the wellbeing opportunities that we offer to auditors. Serve Legal is committed to listening to the voices of young people and continuously improving its support for youth employment. The insights from the Youth Voice Census 2024 have reinforced our efforts to create a fair, accessible, and rewarding work environment for our auditors and internal team members.

Read the Full Report here.