Youth employment transitions and citizenship: A reflection on a local study of young people's transitions to employment in the North of England.

Abstract

This article addresses young people's transitions to work in an inner city area of Northern England. It explores the employment of young people who are under the legal school leaving age in the United Kingdom and the effect this has on their personal and family life. Two themes are addressed in this article. Firstly, the effects of employment on school-age young people are discussed. However, an emphasis is placed on innovations young people use to adapt their labour market contexts and to strive to increase their own independence. Secondly, models of transition and citizenship are challenged in the light of our findings. It is argued that young people's transitions to adulthood are more complex than some previous models have allowed, if age, local labour market, family and kinship networks are taken into consideration.