Leader Calls for More Help to Get Young People Into Work
The prime minister has warned that the United Kingdom faces both an economic problem and a moral failure because nearly one million young people are not in school, working, or training for a job. He says the country must do more to help them build a future.
He argues that investing in young people is better than waiting until they need support through the benefits system. In his view, public help should focus on what young people hope to achieve and what they need to reach those goals.
A Difficult Start for Many Young People
Nearly one million people between the ages of 16 and 24 are classed as not in education, employment, or training. The prime minister says this points to a generation that is being denied a fair chance to succeed.
He named several reasons why so many young people are struggling to find a path forward:
- The effects of two years of COVID lockdowns.
- Social media, which he says can weaken confidence and a sense of belonging.
- An education system that puts too much attention on going to university.
- Too few openings in the job market.
- Past governments’ failure to provide enough support and opportunity.
He also criticized the way welfare support often works. A young person may be assessed, receive a payment, and then be left without further help, skills training, or a route into a job. He says that approach does not do enough to help people move forward.
A Shift Toward Personal Goals
The prime minister wants support to begin with a young person’s ambitions, rather than with a check of which benefits they can claim. The aim, he says, is to understand what help would make it possible for that person to work.
He also stressed that the welfare safety net must remain in place for people who cannot work. But when a person is able to work with the right support, he believes the government has a duty to make every reasonable effort to help them find a job.
The government is expected to announce new work opportunities, including 22,400 apprenticeships each year with businesses in fields such as accounting, legal services, and consulting. The plans are also expected to include 40,000 placements in construction.
Parties Disagree Over the Causes
The opposition Conservative Party has called the government’s approach to youth employment a failure. Its shadow business and trade secretary, Julia Lopez, says higher taxes and extra rules have made it harder for businesses to hire workers, invest, and grow. She argues that this has reduced chances for young people trying to get their first job.
The Conservatives say they would reduce welfare spending by £36 billion a year. Their proposals include bringing back the two-child limit for Universal Credit and narrowing the group of people who can receive housing benefit.
The debate is not only about how many jobs should be created. It also concerns how much money should go toward benefits, job training, and other kinds of help for people who are out of work.
Review Will Guide Future Plans
A long-awaited review of young people and work is due to be published next month. The prime minister has promised to take its recommendations seriously.
Alan Milburn, the former health secretary who led the review, has suggested that money could be moved from welfare payments into employment support. He says young people are not unwilling to work. In his view, most would take up a job or training opportunity if they had enough support and suitable options.
Milburn has also said that the current system is not giving young people what they want: work. He estimates that the government spends 25 times more on benefits for young people than on helping them get into jobs. He described the number of young people outside work, school, and training as shameful.
Budget Decisions Ahead
The chancellor, John Healey, is due to deliver his first Budget on 28 October. The government will want the spending watchdog to consider possible savings from employment support when it checks whether public spending and borrowing meet the government’s rules.
The choices ahead will shape how support is divided between benefits and programs that help people find work. The prime minister’s central argument is that young people need more than a payment: they need useful training, real job openings, and guidance that helps them take the next step.