Skills for every young person

At the beginning of 2021, The House of Lords Youth Unemployment Committee was tasked with investigating youth unemployment, education and skills in England and invited to make recommendations to address the challenges faced by young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET).

The report, Skills for every young person. Report of Session 2021-22 (HL Paper 98), pulled no punches in describing both the scale and impact of youth unemployment. 

Youth unemployment is an issue that must be tackled

Unemployment amongst young people aged 16 to 24 has consequences for both the individuals that experience it, and for the economic prosperity of the country. In the UK, the youth unemployment rate is worse than other comparable countries (such as Japan, Germany, the Czech Republic, Israel, Mexico and Switzerland). The House of Lords report revealed that 800,000 young people, that’s 12.6% of 16-24 year olds are neither working nor in full-time study, with 631,000 (9.3 %) reported as being NEET– these young people represent a significant minority in the UK and therefore deserve specific attention.

Young people have something important to say

The report presents stark findings and useful, timely recommendations based on evidence presented by Government ministers, experts, charities and businesses as well as (crucially) from young people themselves. The report recommends that more can be done to include the voices and experiences of young people and states that an independent Young People’s Commissioner should be appointed to interrogate Government policy and amplify the voices of youth aged 16 to 24.

A national plan for tackling skills shortages

The report identifies a variety of areas for improvement including the increasing skills gaps and shortages, as well as skill mismatches affecting the ever growing green and digital economies. Findings indicate that access to high-quality careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) that should enable young people to understand all the possible careers and pathways available to them is patchy across the country causing challenges and frustration for young people and employers alike. It recommends making careers education compulsory in the school curriculum.

More apprenticeships are needed

Apprenticeships are highly valued by young people and employers and are viewed as a crucial pathway for young people who decide not go to on to university. They allow young people to earn while they learn, while engaging with practical and technical work. Simply put there are not enough apprenticeships nor enough incentives for businesses to recruit young apprentices.

Further Education (FE) is underfunded and undervalued

FE is reported as being ‘held back by a system of funding student places that is no longer fit for purpose’ (Skills for every young person, p23). FE has faced severe long-term funding cuts and current budget plans will not be enough to support the most disadvantaged groups and deliver the wholescale changes the sector needs to meet the Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda.

Tackling disadvantage

Clear evidence indicates that some Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups are extremely disadvantaged when it comes to employment and education. The multiple disadvantages some face need to be acknowledged and acted upon to tackle systematic injustices. The Government are called upon to urgently launch an Education and Workplace Race Equality Strategy.

Looking forward

Alongside these longstanding and often inter-related problems, the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have disproportionally impacted young people. Many young people were more likely to engage with work in sectors that were shut down during lockdowns, such as the arts, entertainment and recreation, accommodation and food services sectors.

All young people deserve equal support to prepare them for their next steps regardless of their background or selected pathway. It is time for the Government to act to guarantee that all our young people can gain relevant skills ready to prepare them for the world of work.