Britain plans to provide 300,000 new job opportunities, as there are still more than a million young people out of service.
The UK government has announced plans to create 300,000 new jobs and training opportunities over the next three years as it seeks to tackle high rates of youth unemployment and economic inactivity.The programme, backed by major employers including Manchester Airport and Gatwick Airport, will create job opportunities in sectors such as construction, hospitality, health and social care, The Independent reported.The announcement comes a day after a review into youth inactivity warned that Britain risks leaving a growing number of young people disconnected from work and education.Official figures released on Thursday showed that more than a million people aged between 16 and 24 are now classed as NEETs, meaning they are not in work, education or training.The new opportunities will include work experience training as well as sector-based work academy programmes, government-funded schemes that combine training, workplace experience and a guaranteed job interview for qualified job seekers.Work and Pensions Secretary Pat Macfadyen said work experience in the workplace plays a key role in helping young people build long-term careers.“The evidence is clear, it gives young people real work experience and dramatically increases their chances of building a lasting career,” McFadden said.
The initiative follows a review by Alan Milburn, which identified limited access to work experience as one of the biggest barriers facing young job seekers.The report found that many students are expected to arrange placements themselves, often leaving those without strong personal or professional networks at a disadvantage.Milburn argues that opportunities to gain early workplace experience are becoming increasingly difficult to come by, creating a cycle in which employers look for experienced candidates while younger people struggle to obtain it.The government says the Expanded Employment Program aims to help bridge this gap and improve access to employment opportunities across the country.
