[JohnnyB]

Part of the problem I think for youth is that the process of obtaining valuable qualifications is now much longer than it was before. A university degree (even a high school degree) is worth much less now than it was 30 years ago and you have no distinction unless you do a professional degree or do higher graduate studies, so the process of obtaining qualifications that are going to give you some distinction and earn you some dosh is much longer than it used to be for many. 30 really is the new 20 for many.