What’s the point in making young people work-ready if there are no jobs?

Prepping young people for work is no good unless the government lowers the cost of employment to create more jobs, writes Helen Dickinson ahead of the release of the Alan Milburn s NEET report There is little point making young people work-ready if there are no jobs waiting for them. This is why government must address the rising costs and regulation that make entry-level jobs harder to create.

The Details

Picture a single decker bus. Forty young people, aged 16 to 24. The bus stops by the school and university; 23 get out to study. Next, it pulls up in the business district; another 12 get out for work. That leaves five young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).

This bus represents a whole generation of young people. The five people still on the bus represent nearly 1m young people who are NEET and cost the economy an eye-watering £125bn a year. A figure currently expected to rise.

But it’s more than the money. These young people miss out on the purpose and recognit