Who’s actually championing youth?

Unmuted | April 2026

Be honest, who’s actually championing youth right now?

Or better. Who isn’t?

Because there’s no shortage of people happy to define them.

‘Lazy.’ ‘Entitled.’ ‘Work-shy.’ And so on.

We’ve heard it all before. And we’re hearing it again now, just dressed up in a wider story about jobs.

Some call it the Jobapocalypse - entry-level roles shrinking, AI circling, Employers hesitating.

And a commentary about what young people can’t do.

But who is actually backing them?

We’re not talking youthwashing. We’re asking who’s putting youth at the centre of how they think, hire, build and grow?

We remember back in 2019 - a time when calling young people ‘snowflakes’ was trending not just with Piers Morgan and similar provocateurs, but virtually everywhere.

‘Weak. Pathetic.’ ‘Shy away from hard work.’

Sometimes we had the cutting retort of ‘Ok Boomer’. That was trending too.

And sometimes organisations actually raised their voices.

We particularly remember Camp America pushing back, and calling it out. They reminded people what youth actually looks like when you take them out of their comfort zone and give them responsibility.

Long hours. New environments. Pressure. Ownership.

‘We’re sick of hearing that we’re all snowflakes.’

They even adopted the ironic ‘Generation Snowflake’ moniker.

At Future Index we shared it everywhere.

At our annual summit, we put it in front of university leaders and asked ‘who’s going to do this next?’ ‘Who’s going to stand up for their students?’

There was energy. Nods. Agreement.

Then nothing.

The pandemic hit.

And suddenly the ‘snowflake’ narrative came back louder - with students blamed, and young people framed.

The reality and true balance was ignored.

Very little on the months trapped indoors.

Lost education. Lost experiences.

Isolation. Compliance.

And bucket loads of resilience.

And then came our email notification. Angelina Bingley, then the Director of Marketing and Communications at UEA, had uncovered a brilliant poem called ‘Snowflake’  by one of the students.

She remembered our summit and she wanted to use the poem to fight back, change the narrative, and celebrate the thousands of students battling the pandemic. Whilst poignantly representing what a snowflake really is - unique, individual, and wonderful.

We talked and the idea for the film ‘Snowflake’ was born.

And it worked.

Huge engagement with students. People talking about it; saying we needed more. And the film was quite rightly feted in numerous awards. Even taking a double Heist gold.

Then, again, not much followed.

Now it’s 2026. And the labels haven’t gone away.

Even Steven Bartlett has weighed in, describing the ‘least resilient generation he’s seen.’ How’s that for a generalisation of millions?!

And in the middle of a tightening job market, that narrative is problematic.

So again we ask. Who’s actually championing youth?

Yes, you could point to Nike. Maybe EE. Definitely Snapchat. But right now, were giving our stage to a fast food chain.

McDonald’s.

McDonald’s is one of the clearest examples of a brand backing young people with actions, not just words. We could reel off a number of recent campaigns to support this, but, for now, look at the current work - 'Making it happen at McDonald’s’.

While others say young people can’t communicate, McDonald’s shows them running busy restaurants. While others question resilience, McDonald’s shows them dealing with pressure, pace, and unpredictability. While others worry about leadership, McDonald’s quietly points out that a huge proportion of its managers are under 25.

Over 100,000 under 25s in the UK workforce. One in three managers under 25.

So, in 2026 we ask again, where are the universities? Surely now’s the time to do something?

Or risk the chasm developing in entry level jobs?

Or employers not feeling confident enough to hire. Or relying too much on AI.

And how will this impact on graduate outcomes, employability propositions, and careers guarantees? These obsessions could become worthless if confidence disappears.

Right now, a burger chain is doing a better job of celebrating youth and its potential, than most of the education sector.

So what are we all going to do about it?

At Future Index we have ideas, as well as examples of who could be leading the charge. Let us know if you want to talk.

Unmuted