FROM THE EDITOR: Don’t know they’re born? Days ahead will be toughest

It has felt almost inevitable as things have played out in recent months and, much as our present government could most certainly have done far better in many areas, I’m not seeing examples elsewhere which make me think that hard financial times could be avoided.

What it certainly must do is stop all those folk who like to look down on the younger generations and mutter that they don’t know they are born.

Times are going to be difficult for everyone but we’ll get through it better if we pull together as a city. Let’s take off the rose-tinted glasses through which we view our own generations and let’s be realistic about what these young ’uns face.

Not only have they all missed a huge chunk of school, thousands of Sheffielders are waking up to A-level results today which they aren’t sure if they can trust. That is something completely unique and utterly wrong.

We all remember that long summer wait for exam results and it is tough enough without knowing that you might not be treated fairly. They haven’t even had the chance to do last-minute revision cramming or shine unexpectedly.

Nobody knows what that means for universities, other than it is going to be incredibly tough for them to get through the next few years. That will inevitably have a huge financial impact on Sheffield.

Then there are all those who chose to get straight onto the career ladder rather than into higher education. Except the problem there is that several of those bottom rungs have been completely removed as jobs have been shed across all industries.

Any opportunities that come up have hundreds more people vying for the role than they would have a year ago. Redundancies, cutbacks and changes beyond comprehension make for a very difficult jobs market.

The challenges are enormous. I can’t even completely urge you to go out and spend to help us through this, because every one of us must still weigh up the risks of all activities and keep ourselves safe.

We are through the worst of Covid-19, we hope, but the younger generations will need more help than ever before. Please do what you can but do it carefully – not much of a rallying call but that is 2020 for you.