The Plan for Jobs, launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, is a good start in trying to combat the crisis in the labour market. 

However, Tony Wilson, Director of the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) states that “there is definitely more that we could and should be doing –  in particular around skills and training support”. The IES highlights concerns that the options available are becoming increasingly complicated, and whilst there are a number of options available, young people (in particular, those most in need) will “slip through the cracks”, or be pushed to what is available, rather than what they actually need. 

The IES’ recommendation for youth employment is a commitment to a ‘youth guarantee’, where all young people have the opportunity of a good job, education or training, with no need for long-term unemployment.

For more from Tony Wilson, IES, click here.