Now left out and left behind. The number
of young people who aren't in any kind
of job or education has gone up over the
last few months. According to new
figures, the number of 16 to 24 year
olds not in education, employment or
training, known as needs, now stands at
948,000
from April to June this year. That is up
by 24,000 from the figure recorded
between January to March. The number of
young women classed as need is up while
there were a thousand fewer young men.
But an estimated 13% of men are out of
work or training and 12% of women. The
government says it's spending another4
million pounds on trying to get young
people back into education or work.
Well, just before the figures were
released, our correspondent Francis Reed
spoke to the Secretary for Work and
Pensions, Liz Kendall, about why things
are still going so wrong.
What happens in early life can echo down
the years. Job prospects, earnings,
health, ultimately young people's
futures after GCSEs is a pivotal moment
with the numbers of young people falling
out of the system altogether creeping
closer to a million. Hello, I'm Liz.
Before the figures came out, the work
and pension secretary met young people
on apprenticeships previously in the
care system. And it's precisely this
topic that the government has been keen
to take ownership of. And yet the
figures just aren't going in the right
direction. Given what the figures have
generally shown, is it not time for
dramatic root and branch reform?
Absolutely. And that's what we're
delivering. It is not acceptable that
one in eight of our young people are not
in education, employment or training. It
is terrible for them in terms of their
future jobs, their future earnings,
their future health and well-being and
it's terrible for the country.
>> What a lot of young people tell us
though is it's the speed. It's not
happening fast enough. So, what are you
doing about that?
>> They're impatient. You know, young
people are always always impatient and
rightly so. And so am I. And I am going
to put my foot on the pedal and
accelerate as hard as I can here because
yeah, you have one life and we need to
provide them a second chance often a
first chance. You know, if school wasn't
right for you, you need another chance
to get on on that ladder of skills. But
business groups like the British Retail
Consortium told us today it's Labour's
decision to raise employer national
insurance contributions that's reduced
the number of staff employers can take
on. Has your own government's policies
damaged those efforts though because
many employers are citing the rise in
national insurance contributions for
example? Well, let's not forget that
employers don't play national insurance
contributions on young people under 21
unless and until they earn over £50,000
a year. And I think a lot of young
people would absolutely love to earn uh
that much money. Uh but we're doing a
whole host of things to actually help
employers. We have noticed there's just
a general lack of hope across the board.
There is the perfect storm for young
people. So, it's the economic
environment, it's the education gaps,
it's the mental health challenges, the
social inequalities. I mean, young
people always say to me, you can't get a
job because you haven't got the
experience and you can't get the
experience. You know, they we need to
solve that because we believe that if
those young people get the work
experience, the employers see what
they're like, it can really open those
doors. For young people who are care
experienced, they get to age 17 and
things start becoming very, very scary
because they know at 18 they're going to
fall off a care cliff. Their finances
could be taken away. The supports taken
away. Care levers are three times as
likely to be not in education,
employment, or training. I don't think
that's acceptable. Actually, it's really
important for young carelevers, but
actually all young people that we
intervene as early as possible. How big
a blow was it for you to drop such a
significant element of the benefits
bill? And did you consider your position
at that time as well? Well, it was, you
know, it's been a bumpy old uh few
months. I think some of that is maybe
inevitable. Welfare reform is always
really hard. perhaps especially for the
Labor Party. Let me just say this. As
more of us are living for longer, more
of us have disabilities, more of us have
long-term health conditions, we need to
change the system to help more people
when they can work and protect those who
can't. And that that won't change.
Although sometimes it is these constant
changes to the benefit system that
actually increases this sense of
hopelessness. So, I would just add that
you've done this job for a year now.
Yeah.
>> Is it realistic to think in the time
you've got you can make the changes you
need and what are the consequences if
you don't?
>> I've got to
not not for me or for the government,
but for those young people who are
desperate for a chance, but too many
people have been denied the chances and
choices they deserve. And every day,
that's what I'm going to try and
deliver. And if you can't, I do not
contemplate failure. Miss Kendall, thank
you very much. She