Our CEO, Barry Fletcher, responds to the 2024 Autumn Budget

Following the recent ambitious goal to “eradicate inactivity and unemployment for our young people” announced by the Prime Minister, today’s Autumn Budget contained some welcome positive intent to address the challenge.

Our CEO, Barry Fletcher, responds to the announcements made in today’s Autumn Budget.

“We welcome the specific reference to the Youth Guarantee which partially adopts the Young Persons Guarantee called for by Youth Futures Foundation and fellow co-chairs of the Youth Employment Group. We look forward to the upcoming publication of the Get Britain Working White Paper, and the further details of the Youth Guarantee ‘trailblazers’ outlined today.

Our youth unemployment and inactivity ‘issue’ is a long-term and complex problem that has been worsening over recent years peaking at 900,000 this year, equivalent to 1 in 8 young people currently not in employment, education or training (NEET).

Determined policy focus on this challenge is essential if the Government wants to achieve its missions on ‘economic growth’ and ‘breaking down barriers to opportunity’. Analysis tells us that if we were able to reduce our NEET rate to that of the Netherlands, approximately 500,000 more young people across the UK would be in work or education, which would provide a long-term boost to the UK’s economy of £69bn.

Government has an ambitious policy reform agenda across employment support and rights, education and skills within a tight fiscal environment, all of which interplay and have a bearing on opportunities for marginalised young people to access good work. As the detail and design develops across areas like the Make Work Pay, Get Britain Working, and Growth and Skills Levy policy process, it is essential the young person remains front of mind and that evidence of what works is central to ensure every pound and penny of public money works effectively.

As the What Works Centre for Youth Employment we look forward to continue working with government across its policy agenda to help ensure there is a brighter future not only for marginalised young people, but our society, and the economy at large.”

Read more about the Autumn Budget, here.