Youth unemployment rate is a call to action

Today's news that the youth unemployment rate has hit 16.1% - the highest figure in just over a decade - is a call to action.

Omarie, aged 20, who's just finished the Spear Programme in Kennington, London, spoke to Radio 4's World at One about the many months he's spent sending off applications for catering and hospitality roles, with little result.

At Spear, we coach unemployed young people aged 16-24 to unleash their potential and thrive. Spear trainees are those who've had a "bumpy ride" in life, but with the right support, their resilience can become a superpower.

The nearly 1 million young people who aren't in work or education ("NEETs") represent a whole city's worth of potential, waiting to be unleashed. We anticipate the NEET figures later this month will be another call to action.

This is a loss to a generation of young people and to the whole of the UK.

The charity Impetus - Backing the best estimates the increase of 2 percentage points in the number of young people not earning or learning compared with before the pandemic has cost the UK economy £20 billion in lost GDP (link in the comments).

Young people deserve to be given a chance - for their sake and for the country's.