Last Monday, the BCC published their latest policy document, The report warned of a lost generation unless the Government urgently tackles the jobs crisis among young people. The report says immediate action is needed to remove barriers preventing almost a million people in Generation Z from engaging with work, education and contributing to society.
Among the recommendations in a new report, the BCC is calling for ministers to:
– Invest in support to help young people into work
– Support SMEs to take on and train young people
– Increase workplace health support for firms to address staff health problems early and keep people in jobs
– Set a target of reducing the proportion of young people not in employment, education of training (NEETs) to that of the Netherlands
Speaking to journalists, our Director General Shevaun Haviland said:
“The UK’s active workforce is rapidly ageing, while the number of young people who are not in employment, education or training is at its highest level for a decade.
“Generation Z face a double whammy of increasing barriers to entering the workforce, and reducing opportunities as the number of vacancies continues to fall.
“But research shows the longer we leave this pool of talent to drift away from the workplace the harder it becomes for them to engage.
“The government has recognised the issue, with schemes such as the Youth Guarantee and its post-16 strategy, but a more collaborative approach is needed across different departments to deliver the change needed.
“Government must support SMEs to take on more young people and train them for the jobs of the future. Chambers are already playing a role by bringing businesses and education bodies together to fix the disconnect. But unless more comprehensive action is taken a whole generation is at risk of being cut loose from society.”
