Young people should look abroad to find work, Lords Committee hears
The House of Lords Committee investigating EU action to reduce high levels of unemployment will quiz organisations which deal with careers guidance and ICT skills next week.
On Monday 27 January the House of Lords EU Sub Committee on the Internal Market, Infrastructure and Employment, will put to leading UK career guidance organisations questions such as whether the UK puts too much emphasis on academic rather than vocational qualifications, and how young people can be helped to take up the surplus of available ICT jobs.
The Committee will also ask whether or not young people should travel to other EU countries for work opportunities. The EU has already indicated clearly that Europe should be seen as a single labour market, and the witnesses will be asked if young people in the UK are likely to take advantage of jobs abroad.
Answering the Committee's questions will be Clive Richardson, Director of Public Affairs and Research, Go ON UK; Jane Artess, Director of Research, Higher Education Career Services Unit (HECSU); Joe Billington, Deputy Director, National Careers and Learner Services, Skills Funding Agency; and Karen Adriaanse HMI, National Lead for Careers Guidance, Ofsted.
Other questions the Committee will ask the witnesses include:
- Is there a lack of high quality careers advice and guidance available for young people?
- How helpful for young people are online job search tools?
- The EU is promoting more, and better, apprenticeships and traineeships – how important is this to tackling youth unemployment?
- In what other ways could new and changing technology be used to help tackle youth unemployment?
The evidence session will start at 4.15pm on Monday 27 January in Committee Room 2 of the House of Lords.
