Mapping new pathways to adulthood

What adulthood ‘is’ is not fixed and will change over time in relation to shifting contexts and the experiences of young people.

The five ‘traditional’ socio-demographic markers continue to feature in young people’s imaginings of adulthood, particularly in relation to financial independence, work and moving out, even if these goals are less obtainable.

But they remain crude measures. They don’t capture the realities and ‘yo-yoing’[ref]Adapted from Walther, A. and Stauber, B. (eds.) (2002). Misleading Trajectories: Integration Policies for Young Adults in Europe? Springer VS.[/ref] of many young people’s lives as they move in and out of education and training, employment, and the family home through this period of life.

The five markers overlook inequalities and the greater heterogeneity that comes with the diversity of this cohort. This could be about, for example, patterns of multi-generational living arrangements. They also don’t capture many of the things that matter most in young people’s lives, such as the psychological and relational aspects of growing up.

And while measures such as staying at home for longer may reflect a new context for today’s young people, they tell us very little about how young people are adapting and – in many cases – thriving under these new realities. They also don’t tell us of the new possibilities for today’s young people, such as those presented by digital technology.

The Grown up? programme will explore the implications of later transitions to adulthood and how they interact to inform policy and practice. For example, staying in education and training for longer and starting work later boosts skill levels, job opportunities and wage levels on average, but not for all (see recent research on the impact of the Education Maintenance Allowance on disadvantaged young people, discouraging potentially valuable experience of working alongside study)[ref]Britton, J. (2025) Rethinking the Education Maintenance Allowance: Lessons from a long-term analysis. Institute for Fiscal Studies. Available from: https://ifs.org.uk/articles/rethinking-education-maintenance-allowance-lessons-long-term-analysis. Research funded by the Nuffield Foundation.[/ref]. Postponing parenthood has enabled many women to stay in jobs and build their careers for longer before taking maternity/parental leave, though for some, this may be the result of a lack of choices over employment and housing. Leaving the family home later (where it’s possible to do so) may help to reduce housing costs and help a young person get a foothold in a job or provide the support needed to overcome a difficult phase – but it could also be detrimental, preventing a wider job search or the establishment of an intimate relationship.

As a society, we have not kept pace with the changes in young people’s lives. In a context of constrained public spending and cost-of-living pressures, policies and services have struggled to respond, families have been asked to do more, and young people feel as if the stakes are higher than ever.

Many services on offer for young people assume a linear journey to a particular destination and so are ill-equipped to provide support for young people who don’t meet interim milestones, such as education and training qualifications, work experience or stable employment.

And some young people face cliff edges in services, such as care leavers or those transitioning to adult health services. Levels of support may reduce or disappear entirely, or established relationships may be lost at critical points in young people’s lives.

There is a need to better appreciate and respond to the interrelatedness of aspects of young people’s lives, such as the relationship between mental health difficulties and economic inactivity[ref]McCurdy, C., and Murphy, L. (2024). We’ve only just begun: Action to improve young people’s mental health, education and employment. Resolution Foundation. Available from: www.resolutionfoundation.org/app/uploads/2024/02/Weve-only-just-begun.pdf.[/ref], considering the combination of support needed to meet the financial, educational, psychological and relational needs of young people.

If we are to continue to ask more of families, greater consideration needs to be given to the help families need as a whole, and to meeting the needs of young people who do not have strong networks.

This programme provides a vital and timely opportunity to listen to young people, explore available data, and commission thought-provoking pieces that challenge our perspectives on issues affecting young people today. Combining this work with the findings from the rest of our funded research, we aim to contribute to a research, policy and service environment that better understands and responds to young people’s experiences today.