Britain faces Northern 'brain drain' as 4 in 10 young people to leave for work

14 May 2023 , 23:01

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Experts fear young people will leave the region to boost their job prospects (Image: Manchester Evening News)

Britain faces a “Northern brain drain” as youngsters prepare to flee the region to boost their job prospects, a report warns today.

Some 44% of 16 to 21 year olds expect to have to move to improve their career chances, according to a study for the engineering and design company Atkins and the Northern Powerhouse Partnership think tank.

Of those, only 15% planned to relocate within the region, with the rest resigned to quitting the North.

In the latest blow to the Government’s flagship “levelling-up” programme 40% of youngsters quizzed believed they need to move for a “better living environment”, while 44% said levelling-ip only benefits older people.

The 43-page report, ‘Talking ‘bout my generation regional rebalancing: a view from the next generation’, says: “The pursuit of better job prospects and a better quality of living environment being the key drivers of the exodus.”

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Britain faces Northern 'brain drain' as 4 in 10 young people to leave for work

Atkins chief executive Richard Robinson said the study should act as a wake-up call

Researchers found that “whilst there was a strong, instinctive tendency to ‘stick up’ for the place where they live, and a desire to see it improve and succeed, many young people feel let down by what their local area has to offer them both now and in the future”.

Atkins chief executive Richard Robinson said: “This research offers a view of the future from the perspective of those who will live it, rather than those who professionally plan and deliver it.

“It should act as a wake-up call: the prospects that many young people believe awaits them reinforces the need for urgency, to deliver change faster and create greater opportunities that benefit all generations.”

Northern Powerhouse Partnership chief executive Henri Murison called on leaders to boost transport links.

“Young people who grow up in towns with poor links to major cities don’t have the same life chances as those elsewhere,” he said.

“While it’s simply not possible to spread opportunity perfectly equally everywhere, what we can do is improve transport connectivity so these young people don’t miss out.

“This also allows these major economic centres access to the talent they need to reach their full potential.

Henri Murison, director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, urged leaders to improve transport connections (Twitter)

“Recent analysis has found that tackling major economic challenges such as transport and innovation could create over a million high-skilled jobs for the North of England in the next 30 years – a game changer for young people growing up here today.

“This is vital for closing the North-South productivity divide, which is the only way to help the next generation fulfil its potential.”

Trajectory, which carried out the research, spoke to 225 young people and carried out eight focus groups held across four Northern regions: Liverpool City Region, the M6 Development Corridor, Teesside and West Yorkshire, between February and April.