To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by ClearView Research Ltd Youth Employment 2030: Employment and prospects for young people in England post-COVID19, published on 17 December 2020; and what steps they are taking to support unemployed young people who are black, Asian or minority ethnic.
Answered on
21 January 2021
As part of the Plan for Jobs, the department is providing a range of support for young people, in collaboration with the Department for Education, schools and other partners. This will mean whatever their needs young people can find the right support, education or training that will ultimately lead to sustained employment.
We have recognised the substantial risk to the long-term employment and earnings prospects of young people and are taking steps to help minimise the amount of time they spend out of work.
Our £30 billion Plan for Jobs has been designed to deliver targeted support to those most in need and continues to adapt to a changing labour market. We have a variety of support options for all our claimants including specific interventions aimed at young people.
The package includes Kickstart scheme, New Youth Offer, Expansion of the Work and Health Programme to offer new support to those who lost their job as a result of Covid-19, Flexible Support Fund, Expanding Sector Based Work Academy Programmes and Job Finding Support service.
Taken together, the package will ensure that we can get Britain back into work quickly. Every young person, whatever their background or the challenges they face, should have the chance to shape their own futures.
We recognise the particular challenges faced by young unemployed people who are black, Asian and minority ethnic. In addition to our national offer, Jobcentre Plus supports employment through place-based solutions that meet the needs of local communities.
Youth Hubs will provide vital links in the community helping to reach young people who need this support. Additionally, we have DWP Mentoring Circles, developed for twenty local authorities identified as having a high ethnic minority population and high gap between ethnic minority and white employment rate, following the publication of the first Race Disparity Audit in 2017, working in partnership with Business in the Community. They are delivered by leaders from the companies involved and they work with jobseekers to increase their confidence, motivation and job search skills.
The Government is also taking forward activity mitigating the findings of the Public Health England review into disparities in the risks and outcomes of COVID-19 published in June 2020 as well as working with the independent Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities that will make evidence-based recommendations to change lives for the better.