YOUNG people in Basingstoke and Deane are worried about preparing for the world of work, according to a new survey.

“Your Big Say” is a large survey for 11 to 17 year-olds across the borough in collaboration with local secondary schools and colleges.

It is only the second time that the survey has been conducted, and it attracted 3,069 responses from young people in the borough.

The survey found that young people in the borough are worried about future employment prospects, with only 22 per cent of those taking part having a paid job and only 14 per cent of people thinking it would be “very easy” or “easy” to get a job in the future.

Money (27 per cent), enjoyment (22 per cent) and future prospects (15 per cent) remained the most important factors for young people when looking for a job.

They also believed that qualifications (33 per cent), reliability (22 per cent) and commitment (20 per cent) were the top three things to have when looking for a job.

Councillor Cathy Osselton, Cabinet member for partnerships at the borough council, said: “I’d like to thank the young people of the borough for giving us such a frank and thorough response to the survey.

“It’s enormously helpful to engage directly with this age group so we can understand their concerns and act on their needs. We take on board the concerns about careers and will look at how we can address them and other issues in our youth strategy.”

The results from the survey will be used to inform the council’s youth strategy, which seeks to improve the lives of young people living in the town.

The information will also be used by the borough council’s partners, such as local schools and children’s partnerships, Hampshire County Council, and the police and health services.