New Government focus on youth employment welcomed

 UK Youth has welcomed the Government’s plans to deliver a new youth guarantee “so every young person has access to education or training to help them find a job”.

Today’s announcement by Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall also outlines plans for a growth and skills levy, backed by £40 million to expand opportunities for young people to develop skills and get into work.

National youth work charity UK Youth has long called for more support to help young people into employment.

Jacob Diggle, UK Youth chief impact officer, said: “Such focus on youth employment is a welcome sign. Far too many young people have slipped through the net in recent years and are at risk of long-term unemployment as a result of the pandemic, the rising cost of living, mental health crises and cuts to the vital support around them. 

“Indeed, the latest ONS figures show almost one million young people are not in education, employment or training – and the rate continues to rise.

“Young people need tailored support to find and keep good quality work and youth workers can play a valuable role in this. We know from our own employability programmes the vital role that youth work plays, if adequately funded. Youth workers support young people to develop skills, connect with prospective employers, build their aspirations for work and gain meaningful work experience.”

UK Youth’s Summer Jobs programme, which launched this year, helped provide direct employment opportunities for 350 young people aged 16-25, at risk of violence, with companies in their local area – all with the dedicated support of a youth worker.

And the charity’s Building Connections programme, in partnership with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, is building the capacity of youth workers as community link workers, supporting them to build partnerships and networks with local businesses and employers and turning those connections into opportunities for young people, with more than 1,400 young people supported so far.

Jacob said: “One of the biggest barriers to young people finding and keeping a job is mental health problems. The Government must not think about problems facing young people in isolation and needs joined-up thinking between professionals, including supporting employers navigate the challenges of a young workforce changed and challenged by the events of the last few years. The recently announced National Youth Strategy provides an opportunity to do this.

“The success of any of the Government’s commitments to young people will depend on how much it understands and acknowledges the importance of youth work in supporting young people and the vital, life-saving roles undertaken by incredible youth workers up and down the country.

“Youth work is an untapped solution that, with the right investment, achieves incredible outcomes for young people that we now know are sustained long-term.

“UK Youth looks forward to continuing our work with the Government to unlock the power of youth work for all.”

UK Youth is a leading charity with a vision that all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. With an open network of more than 9,000 youth organisations and nation partners; UK Youth reaches more than four million young people across the UK and is focused on unlocking youth work as the catalyst of change that is needed now more than ever. To find out more, visit ukyouth.org

UK Youth is involved in a range of programmes designed to help young people thrive, such as outdoor learning, physical literacy, social action and employability. For more on UK Youth’s programmes, see ukyouth.org/what-we-do/programmes