The number of unemployed young people is still near one million in the UK, and with some industries, like retail, looking like they will come out of the economic downturn employing far fewer people than they went in with, Richard Watson asks a vital question in today's Guardian:
What are the jobs of the future we should be preparing young people for today?
If you were looking for a new career in 2030, one of these new roles might be perfect for you:
Micro energy trader
With energy generation becoming a much more local affair in the future as householders use the wind and the sun to run their homes, people will be able to buy and sell excess power to their neighbours and to the national grid. We are already seeing cars with online electricity generation, like the Vauxhall Ampera, and government schemes which allow households to sell their solar power back to the country. This change will make the role of the micro energy trader common, although it might be part of everyone's income rather than a full-time job.
Synthetic biologist
We are already manufacturing biofuels from plants, but the next phase is making them from algae, the water-based vegetation that yields richer energy and is in its early stages of development. Synthetic biologists will help to create the life that makes this possible and to ensure it is useable in mass markets, as well as making artificial versions of plants and animals for a range of other uses.
Sharia financier
Muslim populations are growing across Europe, but many believe that the Koran bans the lending of money for interest. Sharia financiers structure products that allow money to be borrowed without violating this belief, and this is likely to be an exportable service to rapidly-developing Muslim countries in Africa and Asia, helping the City keep its dominant role in world banking.
Teacher
Universities and Colleges are increasingly moving towards online learning, and this is a trend that is likely to continue, meaning people who can educate while on camera will be needed. But more than this, Britain is a knowledge economy, and we will need to invest more in education if we are to keep up with our international competitors in business and technology. More teachers will be a big part of this, perhaps with new specialisms in IT and the environment.
Doctor and nurse
An ageing population will demand better healthcare and more access to it, and more doctors and nurses will be needed to cope. It is notable that in the current government's massive programme of cuts the NHS has escaped unscathed, and this is likely to be a promise any political party that wants to be elected needs to make. There may be some new specialisms though, with a move to more robot surgery likely and new work in reducing hospital infection creating expert cleaning jobs.