One in five young people in the UK say they have “abandoned their ambitions” because of poor grades, warns a report.
Some 34 per cent of 2,300 16 to 25-year-olds with poor grades polled for The Prince’s Trust charity believed they would “end up on benefits”.
It said many had experienced problems at school or home so exam results did not reflect their true potential.
The government said it was “taking a decisive action to transform vocational education”.
A spokeswoman for the Department for Education (DfE) said the government would fund “a place in education or training for every 16 and 17-year-old who wants one”.
According to the poll, more than a quarter (26 per cent) of those who left school with poor grades believed their results would always hold them back.
“Thousands of young people’s ambitions are crushed by exam results each year,” said Prince’s Trust chief executive, Martina Milburn.
She said many young people with poor results “have faced problems at home or bullying at school”.
“It is more important than ever to invest in vocational support and training for young people who are not academically successful.
“Government, employers and charities must work together to get them into jobs.
“Without this, thousands will struggle to compete, leaving them hopeless and jobless.”
