Pat McFadden: I will get young people back to work
The secretary of state for work and pensions, Pat McFadden, says Labour will tackle rising unemployment by ensuring young people don’t graduate into a life on benefits
Since becoming work and pensions secretary, I’ve seen many brilliant examples of people – particularly the young – being supported towards employment.
From partnerships with football clubs helping young people find their first job to local projects supporting sick or disabled people back into the workplace, there is plenty going on to help people improve their lives.
But behind the many individual success stories the statistics – laid bare in the latest jobs data out today – shows the scale of the challenge that still lies ahead.
Because while over 700,000 people have moved into jobs since we entered office, economic inactivity remains higher than before the pandemic, with almost one million of our young people not earning or learning.
Lost potential
Every young person locked out of the labour market represents lost potential – for growth, for innovation, and for the public services we all rely on.
We need to raise our game in productivity and skills. We cannot afford to leave so many people sidelined.
I want a welfare state with opportunity at its heart, which means providing a skills pathway through education to a job and a career that supports people to thrive, and grows the economy with a workforce fit for the future.
And it means rebuilding a benefits system to act as a platform from which people can rise, taking them from welfare to work.
All of this begins with young people, and I’m determined to make sure they don’t graduate from school onto a life of benefits.
That’s why our Youth Guarantee will offer work to young people who have been on Universal Credit for 18 months. We are also aiming to double the number of young people on apprenticeships or technical courses by 2040, widening their scope outside the conventional route of university.
Our Youth Hubs programme, taking place in community centres, football clubs and other local institutions, is a great example of how young people are being given the tailored support they need to enter the jobs market.
For those facing complex barriers to work, whether they are ill or disabled, we are investing over £1 billion to fund our Connect to Work scheme. This will offer personalised local support to thousands of people across the country and help them transition into work.
We are ensuring employers play their part, with National Insurance relief for those hiring under-21s, while Sir Charlie Mayfield’s independent review is looking at how the government and employers better support disabled people and those with ill health who may be at risk of falling out of work to stay in employment.
This is about fundamentally reshaping how we think about work and welfare, and the prize is clear. A dynamic and inclusive labour market that harnesses the full potential of our population.
Britain’s economic success depends on it. That work has begun.
Pat McFadden is secretary of state for work and pensions