Young People’s Aspirations and Structural Disadvantage in a Changing Local Labour Market

About the project

About the Project About the project Nearly one in six young people in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) live in areas of high deprivation, which can shape their educational and employment opportunities. Young people today face an increasingly complex set of decisions and transitions, influenced not only by their own ambitions and abilities but also by wider social, economic and structural factors. In a region that has seen major economic change, including the decline of traditional industries and the growth of more precarious, non-standard work, it is increasingly important to understand how young people see and engage with the opportunities open to them. This PhD project will explore the aspirations, educational experiences and progression pathways of young people aged 11 to 24 as they move through education and into employment. The researcher will look at how aspirations relating to education, careers and employment are formed and how they change over time, paying particular attention to young people facing structural disadvantage, including those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, underrepresented communities and areas of deprivation. The project will investigate the barriers that can limit opportunities, such as unequal access to information, guidance, social networks and resources, as well as the factors that support successful transitions. It will also consider how changing labour market conditions, technological developments and evolving expectations of work shape young people's outlooks and ambitions. Working in partnership with the Leicester and Leicestershire Careers Hub, the Pathways Uniconnect Programme, schools, colleges and other regional stakeholders, the project combines academic research with community engagement so that findings are directly relevant to practice and policy. By capturing the voices and lived experiences of young people from across the region, it will generate new evidence about how aspirations develop and translate into educational and employment outcomes. The project aims to contribute to regional efforts to improve educational progression, social mobility and career opportunities for young people. Its findings will help inform future interventions, careers education strategies and policy development, supporting local partners to address long-standing inequalities and create more inclusive pathways into further education, higher education, training and employment. This project has been co-created with and is supported by researchers from the University of Leicester and De Montfort University, and partners at the Leicester and Leicestershire Careers Hub and the Pathways Uniconnect Programme. The successful candidate for this project will be enrolled at the University of Leicester. Project Aims and Objectives The project objectives are: To explore how young people's employment aspirations are shaped by structural disadvantage within the Leicester and Leicestershire labour market. To examine the lived experiences of young people navigating education-to-work transitions. To develop a creative qualitative understanding of young people's aspirations, opportunities and challenges. To generate new empirical evidence on youth transitions and employment pathways in Leicester and Leicestershire. To contribute to and extend the long-standing body of labour market research on young people in the region. To compare contemporary experiences of young people with historical evidence from earlier studies conducted since 1962. What is Collaboratory? Collaboratory is a research programme, led by Universities for Nottingham and the Leicester Universities Partnership, that places community knowledge and experience at the heart of research. This eight-year initiative is pioneering a new approach to collaboration, working closely with local communities and community-focused organisations to develop and deliver research that addresses the needs and priorities of local communities. Who are we looking for? Collaboratory aims to bridge the gap between academia and communities through a holistic programme of co-created research that actively embeds public groups within its research. As we strive to establish an innovative approach to conducting PhD research, we seek candidates who can demonstrate a deep knowledge of and commitment to Leicester Leicestershire and Rutland and communities. Prospective candidates should demonstrate the extent to which they meet the project competencies, detailed in the full advert on the Collaboratory website. How to Apply Applications to all Collaboratory 2027 PhD studentships must be submitted through our online applications portal. It is strongly recommended that prospective applicants attend one of the online support sessions, prior to submitting their application. Full details of the Collaboratory programme, studentship funding, eligibility criteria and link to the application form can be found on our website at collaboratoryresearchhub.ac.uk/2027-studentships. Applications open at 11am on Monday, 5th October 2026 and close at 11:59 pm on Sunday, 29th November 2026.

Research areas