How Durham aids young jobless

The North East is the English region with the highest rates of young people not in education employment or training (NEET), according to new analysis by social investment organisation Impetus.

As part of a programme of research studying gaps in the labour market, Impetus has broken down rates of young people who are NEET by levels of disadvantage in each council area.

The dataset it has compiled analyses figures from the National Institute for Social and Economic Research to show how NEET rates vary by background and level of qualification into adulthood.

It shows that the North East region has an average NEET rate of 32 per cent among young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, the highest level in England, followed by Yorkshire and Humber (30 per cent) and the North West (28 per cent).

Among the region's 12 council areas, Hartlepool has the highest NEET rate among disadvantaged young people at 36 per cent, followed by County Durham at 34 per cent and Stockton on Tees at 33 per cent (see graphics).

Impetus says the findings will help strengthen applications for funding to improve opportunities made by the hardest hit local authorities, including to the European Social Fund.

Authorities are working hard to support young people struggling to find work and training following the pandemic.

For example, in Durham, a specialist service has been established to identify NEET young people and work intesively with them to create opportunities (see case study below).

• Impetus NEET Dashboard from www.impetus.org.uk/neet-dashboards

CASE STUDY: HOW DISADVANTAGED YOUNG PEOPLE IN DURHAM ARE SUPPORTED INTO WORK

By John Pearce, corporate director for children and young people's services, Durham County Council

We know that as a region the North East has had long-standing challenges in providing opportunities for young people as they progress into employment.

Those challenges have increased over the last year as a result of Covid-19 which has had a disproportionate impact on youth employment across the country, with 16- to 24-year-olds accounting for a significant proportion of the increase in overall unemployment rates.

Durham County Council has taken a proactive role in addressing these issues and in particular focusing on our young people who have additional barriers on their pathway to employment.

DurhamWorks, run by Durham County Council and delivered with its eight delivery partners, provides tailored one-to-one support to young people aged 16 to 24 who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET).

The programme, funded by the European Social Fund and supported by the Youth Employment Initiative, has so far helped 8,000 young people across the county build a positive future for themselves, with many thousands being supported to find work and training.

Over the past 12 months, Covid-19 has made it difficult for young people to find employment. However, DurhamWorks has continued to help 16- to 24-year-olds find work or education despite the challenges of the pandemic.

DurhamWorks has an employer engagement team of seven staff, all experienced at working hand in hand with local employers to create jobs and training opportunities. The team works with individual “job ready” DurhamWorks participants, providing help searching for jobs, making applications and interview skills. This approach has proved to be very successful, with the council using its broader economic regeneration role to provide a coordinated approach.

Sharon Davies, director at childminding business Tiny Treasures, has employed staff through DurhamWorks for the past three years. She is supportive of DurhamWorks and is eager to invest in local young people by providing employment and training.

She said: “My business has greatly benefited from young people being part of our workforce and I truly believe I have developed in ways that would not have been possible without them.

“I couldn't encourage these programmes more. Young people have so much to bring, from developing new innovative ideas to being open-minded and thinking outside of the box.”

DurhamWorks has also now secured up to 92 job placements within the council for young people who are currently unemployed and claiming Universal Credit.

The placements have been made available under the government's Kickstart Scheme, which provides funding to employers to create six-month job placements for 16- to 24-year-olds.

The aim of the scheme is to give young people the chance to build their confidence and skills in the workplace, and to gain experience that will improve their chances of going on to find long-term, sustainable work.

The job placements cover a range of roles in areas including refuse and recycling, administration, gardening, service user support, ICT and welding/fabrication.

We have found that DurhamWorks is more important than ever in helping young unemployed people cope with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. We have been keeping in touch using digital platforms, providing mental health and practical day to day support, as well as creating job and training opportunities.

The challenges of the pandemic have made it more difficult for young people to secure a fulfilling role, but DurhamWorks continues to provide help and support during this time.

Helping young people into secure employment also supports the county's economy by ensuring trained and motivated workers contribute to business recovery and growth.

• More from www.durhamworks.info