Youth Unemployment

Debate between Baroness Smith of Malvern and Lord Austin of Dudley

Thursday 16th October 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

The noble Lord makes an important point about how employers should recognise the efforts that young people put into applying for those roles. We recognise that some graduates face challenges in getting jobs. However, it is still the case—and I hope the noble Lord’s granddaughter will be reassured by this—that UK graduates continue to have strong and above-average employment rates. If she or other graduates need additional help as well as comprehensive jobseeker support, graduates under 24 benefit from all of the tailored jobcentre offer available to all young people on universal credit.

[Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, the Minister has been doing brilliant work on this agenda for decades, so it is great to see her in her place. Following on from the brilliant question from the noble Lord, Lord Palmer, a moment ago, will the Minister tell us how many apprenticeships are provided in each government department? Will the Government set a commitment to increase that number, because I know that it is not high enough? Will the Government also place a duty on local councils to increase the number of apprenticeships that they provide? Will the Government consider requiring organisations and companies in receipt of public funds, such as housing associations or charities, to provide apprenticeships in return for receiving that support?

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for that. I do not have at my fingertips the numbers of apprentices employed in each of the government departments. He makes an important point about the role of the public sector, procurement and ensuring that we are linking government spending with the development of skills. That is certainly something that we are doing across government. The Prime Minister could not have been clearer about the significance of enabling young people to gain higher-level skills alongside the excellent opportunities provided by our universities, in setting, as he has done, a clear ambition for the Government to deliver for two-thirds of young people the opportunity of higher-level apprenticeships or higher technical qualifications or degrees. The Government will now get behind that ambition.

Education Sector: Equality of Opportunity

Debate between Baroness Smith of Malvern and Lord Austin of Dudley

Thursday 17th October 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

The right reverend Prelate is absolutely right that regional inequalities at key stage 2, GCSE and A-level are not just persistent but, certainly in some of those cases, have become worse. That is why the Government and the Department for Education are absolutely committed to ensuring that, wherever you live in England and whatever your background, you will have access to the highest-quality teachers and the best possible curriculum. This is the reason for our launching the curriculum and assessment review. That is absolutely at the heart of the Government’s opportunity mission.

[Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, the latest figures show that 65% of Asian girls and 61% of black girls on free school meals go to university. That is fantastic, and a credit to them and their parents. But the comparable figure for white working-class boys on free school meals is just 15%. Getting on for 70% of young people from some wealthy London boroughs go to university, but the figure is less than 20% in places such as Barrow, Blackpool, the south Wales valleys and Grimsby, for example. What will the Government do to deal with this massive problem of educational inequality?

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

My noble friend is right that white working-class boys are among the lowest-attaining groups in our schools. That links to the point about regional inequality made previously. It is why the opportunity mission is absolutely clear that we need to break the link between background and success. That means more highly qualified teachers in front of our students. It means making sure that children, whatever their background, get to school, are well-fed and are able to learn, which is the reason for our rolling out breakfast clubs in primary schools. It also means that this Government are absolutely focused on raising standards in all our schools for all our children.