The impact of COVID-19 on young people’s prospects in the labour market and in education is rapidly becoming a cause for concern.
According to the IFS, young workers today will be hit the hardest. Youth unemployment could potentially rise to two million young people. We know that the scarring effects of short and long-term unemployment are disproportionately experienced by younger generations, and those facing disadvantage, so it is vital that we do everything we can to protect these groups now.
In response to the crisis, Impetus, Youth Futures Foundation, Youth Employment UK, the Institute for Employment Studies and The Prince’s Trust formed the Youth Employment Group (YEG) to bring together key leaders and experts around the youth employment sector to help drive the UK’s response.
The 5% Club is pleased to have been invited to participate in the new Youth Employment Group, a collaboration formed by Impetus, the Youth Futures Foundation, Prince’s Trust, Youth Employment UK and the IES to bring together leaders and experts in this area to help drive the UK’s response. It’s important we work together across the sectors to monitor, support, advocate and propose solutions.
The Youth Employment Group will focus on the immediate and longer term impacts on the employment prospects of young people, in particular those facing the greatest challenges. There are six working groups currently being established on the main areas of concern:
- Reduce job-losses in the immediate term
- Provide employability support during lockdown
- Ensure a quality welfare-to-work system post-lockdown
- Encourage a healthy youth labour market post-lockdown
- Support viable and quality self-employment for young people
- Ensure effective and accurate use of data.
If you would like to stay informed about the discussions and share information, please join the LinkedIn Group to stay in touch with this work.
