Call to appoint youth employment minister

The Youthforia Youth Employment Commission report Simple Truths calls for a dedicated minister to work across government departments to "youth proof" policies.

The commission wants the minister to work with young people, testing and reviewing youth employment policy to ensure it is fit for purpose.

The commission made the call after seeking the views of 400 11- to 25-year-olds, who said the current system for supporting young people through the transition from education into employment is complex and lacks cohesion.

Elizabeth Harding, chief executive of the North West Regional Youth Work Unit, which supports the commission, said the creation of a youth employment minister would provide coherence between policies.

She said: “Young people want a voice on the design of employment and support programmes and the opportunity to youth proof policy.

“Joining things up so employers, schools and colleges work together will improve work experience, traineeships and apprenticeships for young people.

“The simple truth is that the commission found the system is too complex to navigate for both young people and adults, and what people want is support to make it work so they can realise their aspirations and potential.”

Fiona Blacke, chief executive of the National Youth Agency, has welcomed the call.

She said: “The causes of youth unemployment are complex and varied, and so far the response from government has not been substantial or focused enough.

“A cross-government approach helping to channel resources will be welcome but a senior government figure – a youth employment tsar – who can raise the profile of the issue while championing internal departmental battles, could make a real difference to the effectiveness of government policy.

“Equally, a commitment from government to test and review policies with young people before roll out would be a real step forward – participation of young people at the highest levels should be a goal for all departments, and would send a strong message to young people about their value and worth.”

Philanthropic organisation Impetus-Pef believe a better approach for tackling youth unemployment would be to create a Secretary of State responsible for school to work transitions to bring together work across government departments. 

Its director of policy and strategy Jenny North, said: "Given the scale of the current problem, we need someone at the top of the tree to lead the charge; to be responsible for building and realising the vision for Britain’s youth labour market and ensuring there is a clear line of responsibility for making Neets history.”

In December 2011, Angela Constance was appointed as minister for youth employment in Scotland – the first dedicated post of its kind in the UK.