The extra investment in young people’s futures announced today underlines that the government takes seriously the prospect of a “lost generation”.
The £3,000 job grants for businesses employing 18-24s who’ve been seeking work for six months, and the expansion of the jobs guarantee from age 18-21 to 18-24, are welcome changes.
But the reality we see at Spear tells us that for jobless young people, it’s not as simple as “if you build it, they will come”.
We’ve worked with more than 11,500 young people aged 16-24 over the last two decades. Most of those who start on the Spear Programme have experienced months of being out of work and a string of job rejections.
They have enormous potential and untapped talent. Yet when they come to Spear some struggle to look anyone in the eye or have the confidence to talk to people.
We know that with the right support, young people can thrive and become successful and loyal employees. But support to get people work-ready doesn’t seem to be part of these new plans.
There’s a feeling among the employers we work with that putting young people straight into job placements without training and support beforehand isn't ideal either for the employer or for the young person – their confidence could be damaged further if it doesn’t work out well.
A trusted adult can make a huge difference
Having a trusted adult to give them high challenge and high support can make a huge difference to a young person who’s stopped believing in themselves.
“[Spear] helped me come out of this just slump of not feeling worth anything in society,” a recent Spear trainee in Hammersmith, London, told us.
Our coaches challenge trainees’ mindset as well as working on practical skills. It works: over 70% of those who complete Spear are in work or study a year later.
A business could easily spend £3,000 just on hiring someone. Might it be better spent on getting young people work-ready first to ensure they’re equipped to thrive in a job?