The Millennial generation – born between 1980 to 2000 – are different. Sometimes referred to as the iGeneration, you grew up through the first major advances in the internet, social media and new technology. The opportunities of globalisation, cultural diversity and equal rights have also grown rapidly during your lifetimes.
But it has not been a generation without challenges. Those born in the late 80s and early 90s entered the workforce during the worst economic recession since the Great Depression. The global War on Terror broke out, and social inequalities persisted in countries across the world.
There is no doubt about it – the generation growing up with these opportunities and challenges is important.
In spring 2004, the UK government’s Department for Education started Next Steps, a study of 16,000 Year 9 pupils attending state and independent schools across England. It was designed to study young people’s experiences through secondary school, and on to further education, training or the workplace.
In 2013, the Centre for Longitudinal Studies at the UCL Social Research Institute took over the study. Read more about who runs the study.
Completing the story of Britain
The UK has a long history of running studies like Next Steps. The earliest study began in 1946, to study the post-War generation. Since then, studies have been following those born in 1958, 1970, and 2000-01.
By documenting the lives of those born in 1989-90, Next Steps is contributing to our understanding of how British society and lives are changing from generation to generation.
