Former Birmingham City University student Junaid Hussain, 23, has described feeling 'kind of useless' after two years of unemployment despite submitting over 500 job applications. The business management graduate from Balsall Heath has been forced to sign on to Universal Credit and is now participating in the government's Restart programme to find work.
A two-year struggle after graduation
Hussain graduated from Birmingham City University in July 2024 with a degree in business management, optimistic about his future. However, two years later, he remains without full-time employment. 'The expectation after university is you go straight into a job,' he told BirminghamLive. 'The fact it's been so long since graduating and a full time job, I feel kind of useless.'
Initially targeting roles in administration or IT, Hussain has since broadened his search across multiple sectors. Despite his efforts and previous work experience, he has received very few interview invitations. Most responses, whether positive or negative, have been automated with little feedback. 'It is quite demoralising. My CV is completely fine. A lot of people have said it's fine, nothing really needs to be tweaked,' he added.
Turning to Universal Credit and the Restart scheme
After months of fruitless searching, Hussain signed on to Universal Credit last year. He also attempted graduate job schemes but found limited success. 'It's been a bit of a struggle to find anything. I want to make money and progress with my life - because at the moment it's just difficult. [I'm] just essentially living off Universal Credit money,' he said.
Recently, Hussain began the Restart initiative, a government programme aimed at helping long-term unemployed people re-enter the workforce. The scheme offers support with job application skills, interview preparation, and personalised coaching. 'We'll see how that goes. [It's when] they spend more time with me and help me to look [for a job],' he explained.
Future plans and calls for government action
In the coming weeks, Hussain hopes to secure a job and is also planning to complete a security course to enhance his prospects. He believes more must be done to address youth unemployment in the UK. 'I think [the government needs to] spend more time looking at it. I feel like they overlook that, even though we are on high numbers of unemployment in the UK,' he said.
At the end of June, the government under former Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the Youth Jobs Grant, which offers businesses £3,000 for every eligible young person they hire. The initiative, effective from June 30, aims to help thousands of young people take their first step on the career ladder. Whether this will make a difference for graduates like Hussain remains to be seen.
