‘They’re anxious about everything’: life for young people seeking work in Dudley and Lewisham

Kiara, Tia and Whitney in Downham, south London, who have been supported by the youth service Elevate 100. Photograph: Martin Godwin/The Guardian

When 19-year-old Dejanae set her online job search criteria for the local area, she was shocked at how few options came back. She studied animal science in college but is struggling to find work in the West Midlands.

“It’s hard. You put Dudley, but it’s mainly jobs outside Dudley that come up because there just isn’t much here,” she said. “Even jobs in Birmingham (10 miles away) are difficult because I’m two hours away on a bus, so they don’t even want to consider me.”