Following publication of their impact report for 2022 Youth Employment UK consider their big successes –
Young People:

• Over 2.02 million page views across skills and careers content.
• 26,000+ registered Young Professional Registrations.
• 98% of users more confident in their skills.
• 61 Youth Ambassadors supporting at over 30 events.

Schools and Teachers:

• 5,000+ registered education providers
• 100 Young Professional Providers

Employers & Places:

• 350+ Good Youth Employment Charter sign ups
• 15 New Employer Profiles built9 Employer Webinars
• 4 Youth Friendly Places offering over 35,000 opportunities locally

However, they recognise their work is far from finished there is still much to do to ensure all young people can fulfil their potential, which is why they have set out an ambitious 5-year strategy.

This year sees Youth Employment UK celebrating their 10th anniversary and they say it will also be the catalyst year for driving the biggest impact to youth unemployment.

Only by working together – alongside young people themselves – will we see real change.

Read the report here.

The Prime Minister sets out how he is building a better future for the UK and makes five promises

– they will:

• Halve inflation
• Grow the economy
• Reduce debt
• Cut waiting lists
• Stop the boats.

Click here to read what this means in practice.

This year FutureDotNow organisation has shone a light on the lack of workplace digital skills in their annual review.

While UK businesses currently face many economic headwinds, a lack of a fully skilled workforce is contributing to these challenges – Each year, basic digital skills gaps are costing the UK economy at least £12.8bn, and workers without these skills are missing out on an estimated £5.69bn in additional wages.

At a time when inflation and cost of living are sky-high, this persistent basic digital skills gap is a real concern. The data shows c.8.6 million (22% of adults in the labour force) don’t meet the ‘minimum
standard’ in Essential Digital Skills for Work. And many of those who do meet this standard are still unable to complete all 20 basic digital tasks for Work. This means that nearly 57% of working adults (almost 19 million people) could benefit from improving their digital skills.

Read more here.

The statutory National Living Wage (NLW) for those aged 23 and over will increase to £10.42 per hour with effect from 1 April 2023.

Click here to access a calculator for both employees and our employers to check they are getting/paying the correct minimum wage.

 

Late last year, the Treasury announced that it will increase the apprentice minimum wage by a whopping 9.7% in April 2023. However, with the national minimum wage increasing by the same amount, the apprentice minimum wage is still 50% lower, at only £5.28 per hour. For many young people, despite all the long-term career benefits of an apprenticeship, the salary simply doesn’t add up.

This article recognises that people may expect young apprentices live at home with parents who can support them. This assumption – which shouldn’t impact pay in any case – is not correct. Many apprentices live alone, or have had to move for work, or come from families that cannot afford to support their children especially in these times. To support financial well being and during this cost-of-living crisis.

Read more here.

Take a look at announcements made in both above areas. Levelling up funding awarded to
attract investment and hopefully more jobs.

Levelling up – North East
Levelling up – Scotland

In every Jobcentre Plus district a ‘district provision tool’ exists. Usually only accessible to DWP colleagues.

As part of a Public Accounts Committee recommendation and departmental vision for the future this is now being launched (soft launch) on Gov.uk. It lists organisations that are available nationally and at local level to support our customers in all areas such as homelessness, domestic abuse, ex-offenders, lone parents/childcare, suicide/self-harm etc. – you can search in any area of the country to see what is available.

Read more here.

An interesting blog that gives the current picture of unemployment, touching on the large numbers of inactive job seekers. Outlining research undertaken that analyses the demand for part-time work.

The last decade has seen growing recognition that flexible working is good for business and good for people. There has also been change in the workplace, with the new trend towards hybrid patterns since the pandemic.

Yet there has still not been a significant shift towards good flexible work becoming the norm for all. And the situation at the point of hire lags far behind workplace practice on flexibility, creating barriers to progression for people who can’t work a full-time, 9-5 schedule. It recognises the need for flexible working arrangements and the cost-of-living crisis, particularly the rising cost of travel.

‘Quality’ part-time jobs could offer both the flexibility and incentives necessary to improve labour market participation and combat the crises we are facing.

A quality part-time job is defined as paying £11.17 per hour. The research looked at how many households could be lifted out of poverty as well as the reduction in benefit claims.

Read more here

The UK economy is barely any larger now than it was before the pandemic. Inflation recedes but interest rates keep rising – inflation in the UK eased slightly to 10.7% in November 2022 down from 11.1% in October.

Most economists, including those at the Bank of England, think inflation has now peaked and will continue to fall over the first quarter of the year.

Read more here.

Passengers are being encouraged to Get Around for £2 by bus from January to March this
year, with bus operators launching a campaign to promote the government fare cap scheme.

The scheme will help families, commuters and other passengers save money this winter,
backed by £60 million of government investment to cap single tickets at £2 from 1 January to
31 March 2023 across England, outside of London.

With the average single local bus ticket costing £2.80, passengers will save almost a third of
the ticket price per journey. In some rural areas a single ticket can cost over £5.

The scheme seeks to get more commuters on buses and helps to reduce emissions and
congestion by taking an estimated 2 million cars off the roads.

 

Read more here.