IT is a rainy day for Dudley and Alex Jones and his friends who are sheltering under some trees in the parking lot of the College of the College of College of the College of College of the College of the College of the College of the College of Technology. Blooming at Blue Outlalls on a mid-morning break, students are hopeful that their automotive qualifications will stand them in good stead for job hunting.
Here in the heart of the black country, however, that is not always guaranteed. “Trying to find a part-time job is like trying to find a needle in a haystack,” says the 17-year-old trainee mechanic.
“They don’t care what your grades are, they just want the experience,” chimes in Thomas, his course mate. Derek Fowkees agrees: “Teenagers work together at KFC or McDonald’s.”
Dudley is at the center of a youth work boom in Britain. Almost 1 million 16- to 24-year-olds are not in education, work or training (Netet). One in five school leavers aged 16 and 17 in West Midlands City are in this position, the highest rate in England.
In the autumn budget later this month, Rachel Reeves is expected to outline how the government plans to turn the tide. While he is widely predicted to announce a tough package of tax cuts and spending, the Chancellor must continue to tackle the job change.
Which promises to be a “Youth Guarantee“At the Labor Party Conference in September, he looked forward to how this would work in practice and make financial backing available by increasing investment in skills, training and apprenticeships.
This week, Charlie Mayfield, the former Chairman of John Lewis, highlighted the scale of the challenge for the Chancellor. Britain is “sliding into a crisis of economic inactivity” that threatens growth, prosperity and the future of public services, he warned in his filing with the British government. Young people are particularly exposed.
“If a young person leaves the workforce in their 20s they can lose over £1m in lifetime earnings. They will cost the state the same amount,” he told the State.
“The loss for everyone, financially, is enormous. And that’s before you even get to the issues of the whole life chance and social consequences, which need to be fixed.”
After a tough first year in power, however, Reeves faced harsh criticism that his handling of the economy had made things worse. The Chancellor’s £25bn increase in National Insurance Contributions (NICS) in last year’s budget and a 6.7% rise in the minimum wage. Bosses say Labour’s plan to upgrade workers’ rights will have further ramifications.
From the vantage point of his office in the center of Dudley, Matthew Hunter, the industry’s director of recruiting, can see the first steps of the Reeves tax. “Its impact on SMEs [small and medium enterprises] already known. When it comes to budget, people don’t plan for it. And all of a sudden, it’s like, ‘Boom’ – it costs a lot more now to employ people. “
For workers aged under 21 and apprentices under 25, no employer tax is paid below the annual income of £50,270, in an incentive for companies to bring in young employees. However, driving labor costs has hit hiring employers who typically hire younger adults than most: hospitality, entertainment and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales and sales
This week, Nigel Faage said a reform government in the UK would consider cutting the minimum wage for young people to stimulate hiring. The Foundon Foundation, which has close links to labor, also urged the Reefes to dismantle a manifesto that promised to eliminate youth rates on the minimum wage.
Hunter thought it was a bad idea. Most of his clients pay at or above the current £12.21 minimum wage for adults as standard. “I try and stay away from anyone [Farage] saying. But I don’t think it helps. It’s like a gimmick and opens the door to a lot of abuse. “
However, action is needed. Labor aims to end long-term youth unemployment and get 2 million adults into work hit by an election victory at an age of 85%
In its first year, however, 100,000 jobs were created Missing from Company Payrollsand unemployment jumped from 4.1% to 4.8% – Transferred in part to a faster increase in youth unemployment. Meanwhile, one in five working adults is not in a job or looking for one and the employment rate remains stagnant at 75.1%.
The Bank of England warned this week that unemployment could soon exceed 5%. Apart from the covid pandemic, that is the highest rate in a decade: Hardly an ideal situation for a government that focuses on job growth.
“It’s part of the moment,” said Barry Fletcher, Chief Executive of Youth Expects Youth FECUATES CHORCATION COUCCOUNCE CHORCE CHORCISTION CARICE. “I’m a little reticent to use the phrase ‘crisis’, because it’s used all the time. But I say it’s rising.
“There is a strong recognition from the government that this is something, fundamentally, where they need to act. Hitting the 80% target is aimed at young people,” said Fletcher.
It can also have a big economic prize: Youth Futures estimates that cutting netet rates to match the levels in the Netherlands could add £86bn to the economy over the long term.
For growing young neets, their inactivity is in short supply and poor health. More than a quarter are in this position, a number that has more than doubled from 2005.
The Covid Pandemic Lockdowns have had a major impact, destroying critical years of education for millions of young people, stunting their social development and limiting work experience opportunities.
FOKKES said closing his school during the height of the health emergency exacerbated his issues with Dyslexia, Autism and ADHD. “It’s absolute bollocks, because I failed my exams because of that. It [the Covid pandemic] will definitely have an impact. “
Last year, the West Midlands was chosen out of eight places for “Youth Trailblazer Guarantee“Schemes, launched by ministers with £45m of financial backing to link support to health and work.
Richard Parker, the Labor mayor of the West Midlands, said this government action was important after years of young people being neglected by the Conservatives. Dudley still bears the scars of Deindustrialisation four decades ago under Marmaret Thodcher.
“The impact of that is not only those jobs that will go, but for the next generations. They are structural issues and deep issues. And we have a lack of focus on them at the top,” he said. “But we’re explaining it. There’s a moral case and an economic case: We can’t afford to have a lot of young people who feel like we’re writing this.”
Viv Webb, who helps run the I can program – run by Dudley Council and the NHS – the recession in the 380s in a million council programme.
He said: “It’s been a big change from our industry going into the brave new world and I think now we’re facing similar things. Our young people aren’t getting enough opportunities with employers.”
Jake Rowe, 23, is a young person who has benefited. He found himself on universal credit after leaving college, but after my program is now in work at the Dudley Service in children’s services. He knows first hand how hard it is to be young and the benefits.
“I was with DOLE for one year and, honestly, it’s not good. You don’t get much money.
In Dudley town centre, Hunter hires around 350 temporary and permanent staff a week. He said many young school leavers were unaware of the work available in Dudley, where there were more openings in manufacturing and logistics than in technology or finance.
Those who want an office job may have to navigate traffic on a bus to Birmingham, he said, even as Dudley awaits the completion of the city’s long-delayed TRAM link.
“It looks like you see peaky blinders – foundations and things like that. I’m not sure that people of that age one) want to get to that time of work, but people who want to work on them.”
Town center students agree that DUDLEY has its challenges.
“I don’t recommend coming here in the dark,” said Alfie Aston. He and his classmates, walking from college in their mechanics overtauls, said Dudley – like many of the poorest cities in Britain – 50-50 “to grow in.
However, students also hope their qualifications will be a route to success.
“It’s definitely hard to find work sometimes, especially for a young person with no experience,” said Aaron Hackett. “But study this course, it’s one of the best trades. There are many places you can go.”