Youth Unemployment Committee to take evidence from youth groups and business voices

These evidence sessions will be held remotely and streamed on Parliament TV.

At 10.15am the Committee will hear evidence from:

• Sope Otulana, Head of Research, Youth Futures Foundation
• Laura-Jane Rawlings, Chief Executive, Youth Employment UK
• Samantha Windett, Co-Chair, Youth Employment Group.

At 11.15am the Committee will hear from:

• Mark Cameron – CEO Designate, The 5% Club
• Jane Gratton – Head of People Policy, British Chambers of Commerce
• Lauren Roberts – Youth Engagement Executive, City and Guilds Group.

The topics the Committee is likely to cover include:

• Why past schemes and policies have failed to tackle youth unemployment.
• How the pandemic will impact young people’s careers and experiences of work in the coming years.
• How some groups such as BAME young people face more barriers to work than others and how this can be tackled.
• The effectiveness of Government initiatives such as the Youth Offer, Kickstart, new work coaches, and apprenticeship incentives.
• How employers reach those furthest from the labour market, such as vulnerable young people and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• The role of business and industry in supporting employment beyond direct recruitment.
• If GCSEs and A Levels are adequately preparing young people for work and the jobs available to them.

More on this inquiry

The Youth Unemployment Committee is considering what measures should be taken to protect and create jobs for young people and will be proposing long-term and durable solutions to the problem of youth unemployment.

It will also examine how the labour market for young people may change due to current events such as COVID-19, Brexit, and technological developments in the longer term. It intends to report before the end of November 2021.

Last week the committee took evidence from the Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Education. You can watch the session back on Parliament TV.

The committee’s work can be followed on its website and via Twitter.