Employment: Young People

(asked on 6th June 2018) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to increase youth employment.


Answered by
Alok Sharma Portrait
Alok Sharma
COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
This question was answered on 12th June 2018

Youth unemployment has fallen by over 40% since 2010. Around 3.0 million young people have left full-time education and have successfully found work, with the employment rate for this group at 74.9%, up by 7.5 percentage points since 2010.

The Youth Obligation Support Programme was introduced in April 2017 to provide intensive support for 18-21 year olds making a new claim to Universal Credit. This programme starts with an intensive activity period of workshops and interventions that encourages 18-21 year olds to think more broadly about their skills and job goals, helps them identify any training they need, and supports them to improve their job search, job application and interview skills.

We also believe that early intervention is particularly important, which is why we have introduced Jobcentre Plus Support for Schools, which was trialled in 10 districts starting in February 2016 and rolled out nationally in England only from November 2016. It helps young people make a smooth and effective transition from school to work, training or further study. This support includes advice on the local labour market, ‘soft skills’ employers expect such as teamworking and resilience, job search skills such as CV writing and interview techniques, and the promotion of vocational routes into employment

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