0:11:50 > 0:11:57.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07In the midst of an economic recession,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09we are all in it together,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12but some are in it deeper than others.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18With one in five young people struggling to find work
0:12:18 > 0:12:20and many dependent on benefits,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Britain's youth is being hit hard.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43In London, 19-year-old Frankie's home
0:12:43 > 0:12:45is a cramped three-bedroom council flat
0:12:45 > 0:12:50where five people are dependent on his mum's benefits.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Two of my sisters sleep in this room here, one of my sisters
0:12:53 > 0:12:57sleep in that room there and my mum sleeps in that room there.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59And obviously, this is my room here.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05- INTERVIEWER:- Where's the front room? - There's no front room.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Frankie has just finished his first year at college,
0:13:10 > 0:13:12where he is studying games design.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14This project is just a dream home.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18That would be on the beach, with a swimming pool in the roof.
0:13:20 > 0:13:21This ain't my dream home.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24My dream is always just being independent,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26having my own house, being happy somewhere.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Location-wise, it would probably still be in the 'hood, like.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33Frankie's hope is to be the very first person from his family
0:13:33 > 0:13:34to get to university.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40One day, I said to myself, "I have to change."
0:13:40 > 0:13:42Nobody ain't going to change for me.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45I do need that determination, you know, and that focus,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48because without that, then how am I going to get where I want to be?
0:13:48 > 0:13:52But with fees now hitting nine grand a year and no access
0:13:52 > 0:13:56to the Bank of Mum and Dad, the odds are stacked against him.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Education is the way out.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Rich people don't need to really care about education,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07because it's given to them on a plate, whereas people like me
0:14:07 > 0:14:10or whoever else is in my state, you are born into nothing,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13so you have to make something of yourself.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19The streets is a safety net. The streets is always there for you.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23There's always opportunities within the streets to, you know, make money.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25But it's easy. It's like the easy route out.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28Whereas going to get a job and that, that's kind of the hard route,
0:14:28 > 0:14:32and you need that determination and ambition to get you there.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34If you come from an estate like this and apply for a job,
0:14:34 > 0:14:36they get knocked back down then,
0:14:36 > 0:14:38so they kind of lose that determination after they try,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41so they come back to the streets and the streets provide,
0:14:41 > 0:14:45so that's why you can't blame people for coming back to the streets.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47But Frankie knows from experience
0:14:47 > 0:14:50what the price of the streets can be.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Every few weeks, he makes a two-hour journey across London
0:14:55 > 0:14:57and gets a stark reminder.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09When I visit my friends, I know what they are thinking.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11That's why it's good to be on the other side of the table,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14cos I know what goes through their heads.
0:15:15 > 0:15:16Before, when I was here,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19I was sitting on the other side of the visiting table.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21I was the person being visited.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Frankie was sentenced to two years in prison for
0:15:24 > 0:15:28a street robbery of a mobile phone that ended in violence.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32I hit one of the boys and he suffered a fractured jaw,
0:15:32 > 0:15:34so I was in prison for something.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38I wasn't in prison for no reason. No-one is in prison for no reason.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43Bed, toilet, sink.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49Amazing view(!) I was thinking about it just now when I was in there,
0:15:49 > 0:15:53what did I do to kill time? I used to just think all the time.
0:15:53 > 0:15:58Try to come up with a plan, you know, try to structure my life.
0:16:00 > 0:16:05I've woken up and realised what my life is like and, you know,
0:16:05 > 0:16:09what everyone else's life is like and I kind of had to think,
0:16:09 > 0:16:11you know, "How can I better this?"
0:16:11 > 0:16:15It gave me that time to think what I want to do with my life, you know.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Frankie's college is about to break up for the summer
0:16:20 > 0:16:24and he is already planning on how to fund himself through the holidays.
0:16:24 > 0:16:29Obviously, once I finish my course, getting a job will be vital.
0:16:29 > 0:16:30I will have to get a job.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34I've got work experience with BT, conservation work,
0:16:34 > 0:16:38horticultural work experience. All of them are voluntary.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42He has built up a great CV through working for free,
0:16:42 > 0:16:44but getting a paid job is trickier.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47He has to disclose his criminal conviction.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51Applying online for jobs ain't really working, so I'm going to kind of get
0:16:51 > 0:16:56proactive and go down to Wood Green and go to the stores directly.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59I'm looking for a retail job in the area of games,
0:16:59 > 0:17:02because I know a lot about the product, so...
0:17:02 > 0:17:05- Can I speak to the manager, please? - Yeah, you're speaking to her.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08- How can I help?- Would it be possible to apply for a job here, please?
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Yes, do you want to give me your CV?
0:17:10 > 0:17:12I can give you our e-mail address for our HR.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16- Forward it to them, it's easier. - OK, thank you very much.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18- Thank you very much. Have a lovely day.- You, too.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Frankie's CV didn't get him any offers,
0:17:26 > 0:17:28but he may have another chance.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Out of the blue, a voluntary work contact has recommended him
0:17:31 > 0:17:34for an interview in the West End.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36I don't go into central London, you know,
0:17:36 > 0:17:40because there's never really been a reason for me to go there.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42I know Trafalgar Square, and that's it.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45It's not exactly a poor city, you know?
0:17:45 > 0:17:47There's loads of businesses and that,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50so it's not like I'm in the middle of nowhere.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53As much as there is going on, there's a lot of competition.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56The odds are stacked against you, really.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Frankie has never been to a nightclub before,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01but he might have some of the right skills.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03It's street work, handing out flyers.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07It's really important for me to get to that interview stage
0:18:07 > 0:18:09when it comes to getting a job,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12because I have a criminal record, so...
0:18:12 > 0:18:16I almost feel like I'm blacklisted. Like, I feel like I can't get jobs
0:18:16 > 0:18:18because of what I've done when I was a kid.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21You know, obviously regret it. Every day, I regret it.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24But there's nothing I can do. I can't turn back time.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29PHONE RINGS Hello?
0:18:29 > 0:18:31'Hi there. How are you, Frankie?'
0:18:31 > 0:18:33I'm fine, thank you. How are you?
0:18:33 > 0:18:35CONVERSATION INDISTINCT
0:18:35 > 0:18:38- 'OK, well done.'- Thank you.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40- 'Bye.'- All right. Bye.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44Yeah, I got a job. I told you.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46I beat 16 people to the job.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Can we go to Nando's to celebrate?
0:18:50 > 0:18:51THEY LAUGH
0:18:56 > 0:19:00Frankie's travelled down from London to the south coast.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02He's come down for an open day
0:19:02 > 0:19:04to check out a degree course in games design.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11So, all these guys already have their degrees,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14and they're doing a Masters here.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18All the courses we do are both academically challenging,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21so they're difficult courses, but at the same time,
0:19:21 > 0:19:23they prepare you for work.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25What's the possibility of me earning money,
0:19:25 > 0:19:27or part-time work, while I'm here?
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Um, it's probably going to be difficult,
0:19:30 > 0:19:34because unlike other colleges, we have a very full timetable.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38So we'll give you a bit of an insight into student finance,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41how much could you supplement your income
0:19:41 > 0:19:45through student finance and support with a part-time job.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47There is no need to panic.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49Yes, the costs that you may pay may be more
0:19:49 > 0:19:53than people on the current system, and I'm not going to deny that.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55This is the reality of the situation.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57You will have more of a loan than I have,
0:19:57 > 0:20:01but the repayment system that you get is technically better.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05It'll be a three-year course, so that'll be 27 grand
0:20:05 > 0:20:07that I'll be in debt.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10- INTERVIEWER:- What?- 27...
0:20:10 > 0:20:13That's not even including living finance or nothing like that.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16That's just £27,000, just to do my course.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19So, obviously, there'll be other costs on top of that, as well.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21So it'll be a lot of money.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27The day has given Frankie plenty to think about.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31It was a good eye-opener.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34All it highlighted, really, is how expensive it's going to be.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38But university ain't really an option. It's vital.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40Like, I have to do it.
0:20:46 > 0:20:51I want to be able to be that person where I work, I buy houses,
0:20:51 > 0:20:55you know, buy cars. I want to be able to live a comfortable lifestyle.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59I want to not be the same as everyone else.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd