Responding to the Government’s announcement on expanding opportunities for young people on Monday 16 March, Stephen Evans, Chief Executive at Learning and Work Institute (L&W), said:
“Helping the nearly one million young people who are not in education, employment or training is an urgent priority given the long-term damage being NEET can do to your career prospects. The Government is right to extend help like the Job Guarantee to those aged 22-24, as this group is more likely to be NEET than the 18-21 year olds the policy was previously focused on. To make a real dent in the numbers, though, we still need decisive action to engage and support the three in four NEETs who too often miss out on support as they are not on unemployment-related benefits where most of these measures are targeted. The trailblazers are a positive start, but there is more to do. Lastly, hiring subsidies should make employers more likely to take on young people, but they come against the backdrop of rising employer costs and wider economic challenges which also need addressing to make a sustained difference.”
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