A Carlisle-based group that works with young people said that there is a feeling among young people of “being on the back foot” as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Almost two-thirds of young people said their generation will be permanently disadvantaged by the impact of the Covid-19 crisis, according to a recent study by the Co-op fund.

Two out of three said competition to get a job has already increased so it feels “impossible” to find work, while almost a third said the pandemic has made them less likely to continue with further education.

Development Manager at Carlisle Youth Zone, Lynsey Buckle, said on of the biggest impacts that Covid-19 has had on young people has been an increase in anxiety as a result of the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic and being deprived of opportunities to socialise.

“Certainly there is a feeling among young people of being disadvantaged and on the back foot," said Ms Buckle.

“Whether that’s because they have been isolated for some time, or increasing levels of anxiety and getting used to being around people again.

“With what we would expect to be the normal numbers of people coming back into our building, we are seeing some low level behaviour issues because young people are frustrated about how they can communicate general levels of anxiety.

“That wasn’t something that we saw prior to Covid.

“I’m not talking about anything serious, but there are indications that young people are taking longer to bounce back.

“By and large, young people are very resilient and more resilient than what we give them credit for but nevertheless, there has been an awful lot of uncertainty and regardless of what age you are that’s going to feed levels of anxiety."

On the impact of Covid-19 on older teenagers people, Ms Buckle added: "I think Covid has shaken things up for them and they are trying to manage real life, meeting friends and having inter-personal relationships, which really kick in around that age.

"And, they are trying to fathom schooling when remote education hasn’t been ideal for anyone, least of all those young people that were probably struggling to start with."

The survey of more than 5,000 10 to 25-year olds found that half of school-aged children believe they have fallen behind in the past year, with almost two-thirds feeling the pressure to "catch up" quickly.

Executive Officer at Cumbria Youth Alliance, Cat Hawkes, said there is a feeling of "uncertainty" among young people coming forward to them.

"A lot of them have left school with grades that they haven't been able to actually go and sit and they have been given grades that they might not think are appropriate.

"Looking at opportunities going forward, things have been reduced.

"When young people are coming up through school, there is a lot of emphasis on their next steps and careers.

"During lockdown, that wasn't as readily available. A lot of young people are leaving school now without that knowledge of what is available and what they can do next."

A Government spokesperson said: "We have committed to an ambitious, long-term education recovery plan, investing over £3 billion and significantly expanding our tutoring programme to support children and young people to make up for learning lost during the pandemic.

"We have also put the transformation of skills and further education at the heart of our plans to recover from the pandemic and our Skills Bill. From the expansion of T Levels to more support for businesses to take on apprentices, we are championing technical education and training for young people, helping them to reach their career goals."