The skills gap needs to be addressed to tackle the youth unemployment crisis
Alan Milburn’s report last month should be a wake up call when it comes to the youth unemployment iceberg that Britain is careering towards. The former health secretary warned that there was a real risk of a “lost generation” with young people being presented with fewer and fewer opportunities to get onto the first rung of the jobs ladder.
The issue of the rising number of young people not in employment, education or training (Neets) is one that should concern everyone. It risks a social and economic collapse.
Dealing with the problem cannot be left to the government alone. While policy clearly is hindering some businesses recruiting young people, there is also the need to address the skills shortage.
New research by the Open University suggests employers are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit suitably skilled workers.
There is now a “growing mismatch” between employer needs and available talent that was preventing organisations from addressing persistent skills shortages.
If Britain is going to deal with the youth unemployment crisis then industry, education and government policy needs to dovetail to address the skills shortage.
It is more important now than ever before to ensure the skills deficit is addressed with the world evolving at a rapid pace. Developments such as artificial intelligence (AI) are already having a huge impact on the jobs market.
Businesses should be encouraged to work more closely with schools, colleges and universities to ensure that young people are equipped for work.