Action needed to ensure all young people can access emerging work opportunities in the Metaverse

The findings of a project run by social mobility charity the EY Foundation has identified the action needed to ensure new technology is inclusive of young people from low-income backgrounds.

Working with young people across Greater Manchester, the ‘Social mobility in the Metaverse’ report (NOTE: available to download here from 19 October: https://eyfoundation.com/uk/en/news/reports-and-resources.html) uncovered the need to demonstrate that new technologies provide opportunities for ‘people like them’ and their community. Creating an internal desire to engage, referred to as intrinsic motivation, must be unlocked by policymakers and organisations.

Four areas of action have been identified to build social inclusion:

Awareness: Build understanding about how the Metaverse will influence the future of work and why young people from a low-income background should engage in new technology. This includes using immersive technologies to transform work experience by extending the range of work placements available to young people.

Accessibility: Ensure universal access to immersive experiences in the Metaverse. This will mean establishing a minimum standard for all Metaverse environments that ensures they are accessible via a mobile phone.

Skills: The Metaverse will be a constantly evolving environment, so young people should be given the training needed to be better prepared for an unpredictable future. This can be done through government action to ensure Metaverse-focused skills training is included in regional Local Skills Improvement Plans.

Networks: Provide opportunities to build work-related virtual connections and networks. One way this can be implemented is by local careers hubs. They should support the creation of a network of Metaverse career ‘influencers’, who reach out to excluded communities to introduce how to work in an immersive 3D world.

With technologies like generative artificial intelligence transforming the future of work, how we experience new tech will often be through immersion in the Metaverse. As we accelerate towards an uncertain future, this is the time to take action that ensures the risks are avoided and the opportunities realised for young people who can already feel marginalised from society.

Responding to the report’s findings, EY Foundation CEO, Lynne Peabody said: ‘Organisations focused on supporting the future of young people must look ahead to the sort of world they are likely to be working in. This means acting now to advocate for the action needed to unlock opportunities and minimise risk associated with new technologies like the Metaverse. This report is an important step in that direction, and we look forward to working with employers, government, and other charities to implement these recommendations.’

This pioneering project was delivered in collaboration with EY’s Metaverse Lab team, who address areas of social concern in the Metaverse such as social mobility, identity, inclusion, and accessibility. The lead partner was Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator who has a statutory remit to build media literacy. The group was completed by the School of Digital Arts (SODA) at Manchester Metropolitan University and award-winning artist, Alina Akbar who brought alternative perspectives to the issue.

‘We all know that lack of access to technology can be a barrier to young people from a low-income background; however, the greatest insight I took away from this collaborative project was that even with access to the technology they are not incentivised to engage. Their intrinsic motivation to engage isn’t there because they don’t perceive the technology as enabling advantage for them directly.’ Domhnaill Hernon, Global Lead, EY Metaverse Lab.

‘The Metaverse could represent a step change in how we live and work, so as we prepare for it, we must listen to the hopes and concerns of young people who may spend much of their working life in virtual spaces like this.’ Ed Leighton, Director of Strategy, Ofcom.

‘Combining technological and artistic mindsets has been a powerful way to bring a new perspective to understanding the real-world implications of technology. I hope the recommendations generated are the start of a wider conversation about how new tech can evolve to embrace the needs of all parts of our community.’ Kirsty Fairclough, Professor of Screen Studies, School of Digital Arts, Manchester Metropolitan University.