I still remember my graduation like it was yesterday.

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My parents were watching as I walked across the stage – two first-generation immigrants, who had sacrificed so much to give me opportunities they never had. I felt the enormous sense of pride and responsibility that comes with being one of the first in your family to go to university.

At the time, I was still sleeping in a bunk bed, sharing a room with my brothers in Tooting where I grew up. But as I collected my certificate, I felt like I’d made it. I was excited for my professional life to begin, and with a world-class education behind me, I was confident that whatever came next, I was going to be ok from here. And that’s exactly how it turned out.

For generations, parents like mine have watched as their children have had opportunities and experiences they could never have imagined for themselves. There’s been an unspoken expectation that each generation will have it a little bit better than the last.

But for many people growing up today, that expectation no longer matches reality. Those leaving school, college or university face far less certainty about what awaits them on the other side. They’re not short of talent or ambition. But the roles they need to kickstart their careers and build their futures seem to be drying up. Consequently, that........

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