Late last year, in our role as the secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Group for Youth Employment we launched an inquiry into best practice that helps young people furthest from the labour market into employment.
The inquiry received 15 submissions and heard evidence from Mark Pike of Develop EBP, Leanora Volpe of Leonard Cheshire and culminated in young people posing questions to Anne Milton, Minister of State for Skills and Apprenticeships.
We are delighted to be able to make the report available today, we have a short and full version available to download
The findings:
The APPG for Youth Employment has found that:
- too many young people still face barriers to employment.
- there is also a concerning number of young people ‘hidden’ from the official statistics. These are young people who are NEET (not in education, employment or training) and not claiming welfare support.
- new policy and funding models can create perverse implications for social mobility.
- young people furthest from the labour market face a number of barriers meaning it can be a struggle to complete programmes with pre-determined markers for achievements.
Recommendations:
Based on the evidence heard at the meetings and put forward through the written submissions the APPG for Youth Employment is making the following recommendations to government:
- Ensure that all young people in education have access to work experience. Information, advice and guidance must be both aspirational and practical and include helping with the soft skills that are so important to securing employment.
- Ensure that all young people have adequate mental health support and that early intervention models are in place. Young people must be taught how to develop resilience and take care of themselves.
- A one-size fits all approach does not work. Education, employment and welfare services must begin to recognise the unique potential of each young person and that what works for one does not necessarily work for all.
- Investment must be put into identifying young people NEET and hidden at a local level. Services and support for these individuals must be holistic, whilst understanding that vital youth services are at risk from funding challenges.
- Include young people and experienced organisations in the design of national and local approaches to youth employment.
- Provide financial and information support for employers to work with young people who are furthest from the labour market including better information on Access to Work, recognition of the national employer kite mark – the Talent Match Mark could support this.
- Better coordination of responsibilities and services across government departments that support young people. This includes the Department for Education, Department for Work and Pensions, Department for Health and Ministry of Justice.
“We are an aspirational nation, and this is highlighted most by the energy and vigour of our young people. Their drive and potential is huge. They rightly want the opportunity to build a brighter future and it is our job as Parliamentarians to enable them to fulfil that promise. This is why we must redouble our efforts to eradicate long term youth unemployment and give young people the opportunity to pursue a fulfilling career and build a better future for themselves and their families”.
APPG Chair Michael Tomlinson MP
