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I am getting angry.
If there is one ‘passion’ I have had for the last 10 years it is youth unemployment and the creation of entry-level jobs – be it in IT or any occupation. That’s why I put so much of my time into the Prince’s Trust. Why I harangue everyone – from tech CEOs to Govt ministers - on the issue. Why I write so many HotViews posts on apprenticeships.
So, here we have a UK which whatever Ed Balls might say, is clearly improving. Every indicator we follow is pointing that way. Indeed has done for 9+ months now. The UK could even be heading for the fastest GDP growth of any country in the developed world.
Today’s unemployment figures were really positive. The rate of unemployment fell from 7.8% to 7.7%. Amazingly, between March and June 2013, public sector employment fell 34,000, while private sector employment rose 114,000.
But there was one unemployment statistic which went in the opposite direction. The unemployment rate amongst 16-24 year olds INCREASED by 9,000 youngsters or 0.5% to 960,000 or 21%.
That is a disgrace. The words ‘lost generation’ are apt.
The major initiatives, ranging from enhanced apprenticeships being introduced by some tech companies amongst our readership through to the excellent ‘Make your Mark’ scheme run by Marks & Spencer (with the Prince's Trust), show what can be achieved. But it is not enough. More must be done to create more jobs for young people as the economy recovers. HMGovt can do only so much but the real responsibility is with us, the employers. When the Prince's Trust runs Get into...programmes with employers it regularly achieves 75% positive outcomes even with the most disadvantaged unemployed youngsters.
I, for example, think that job creation for young people should be amongst the award criteria in HMGovt contracts. Just as all major companies operating in the UK have to declare their CSR policies in their R&As, so they should also detail what they have done to tackle youth unemployment. It should go to the top of the agenda for corporate UK.
If the rest of the country comes out of recession, if we all start to do well again, but we leave our young people behind, we will all live to pay the price.
