National Youth Strategy

Baroness Stedman-Scott Excerpts

Thursday 13th March 2025 Grand Committee

[Baroness Stedman-Scott (Con)]

My Lords, three minutes is not enough time to cover all aspects of the subject we are looking at, but it will come as no surprise to noble Lords that I will focus on employment for young people. Whatever youth strategy is developed, agreed and delivered, it must help to stop the flow of young people becoming NEET. Nearly 1 million of our young people are in the NEET group. What does that cost in finance, in economic terms for business, in personal issues and, of course, in social cohesion?

Many young people today grow up in families where they are loved, nurtured and supported at different times in their journey in life. But let me tell noble Lords this: many young people are not—I have met them. Many young people, sadly, are left to their own devices, with no guidance. They do not have a clue what life holds for them. They have every potential to become NEET, to be involved in crime and gangs, to have health issues, and to be economically inactive. I could go on.

I met someone from the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme—the young man is over there—and he showed me a quote from a young person who said, “Is it a surprise I’ve got mental health issues, when I haven’t got enough money to live on?”. The issues that they face are absolutely phenomenal. Young people are on a journey. Whether it is starting out in their early years, or whether they are categorised as NEET, it is a journey, and it is one on which they need somebody to be with them, to take them through the highs and lows of life.

In my book, it is about the destination. For me, the destination is that, whatever services a youth strategy provides, it should help young people to transition into the labour market, not leaving them at any point if something goes wrong. I have seen it work: it is cost effective, and if we measure the return on the investment needed, I am telling you, it is magic. I will give your Lordships just one example. I worked on a project where 76% of the young people we got into work were still there a year later. They did not fall out, and the money we invested in keeping them there was well, well worth it. Eighty-five percent of them drastically improved their attendance at school, and 60% of them got five GCSE’s at grade A to C. Ninety-six percent of them are currently involved in education, employment or training. The youth strategy will cover a number of things, but let us get them into work, keep them there and give them a future.