The role of the APPG for Youth Employment is to champion youth employment in all its forms and provide a supportive but challenging response to government policy and investment.

Young people have been the hardest hit cohort in the labour market during the Covid-19 crisis; they are more likely to be employed in sectors that have been shut down, their education has been unstable and vacancies are still historically low. The 16-24 year old employment rate is falling, whilst the unemployment rate and claimant count continues to rise. Lessons learned from the 2008 economic crisis informs us that the true extent will not be revealed for some years, with the number of those not in employment, education or training (NEET) peaking in 2011-2012.

Following two meetings of oral evidence and eight submissions of written evidence, the APPG for Youth Employment has produced a report that assesses the Plan for Jobs; what has been done well, what could be improved and where the gaps and tensions are that may allow the most disadvantaged and vulnerable to fall through the gaps. A Minister from the Department for Work and Pensions has been invited to receive a copy of this report and its recommendations.

More information can be found below:

Inquiry: Making youth employment policy work, September - January

Meetings in September & October saw expert speakers share their views with the APPG for Youth Employment, they included:

• Youth Ambassadors from Youth Employment UK
• Tony Wilson (Director of the Institute for Employment Studies),
• Samantha Windett (Director of Policy, Impetus),
• Anna Smee (The CEO of Youth Futures Foundation),
• Tudor Price (Deputy Chief Executive of Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce) share their views with the APPG for Youth Employment.

Inquiry Questions

• Are the summers announcements Plan For Jobs ambitious enough to address the youth unemployment challenge?
• Are their gaps and tensions that may cause a rise in further inequalities amongst groups of young people such as those furthest from the labour market?
• What more needs to be done to accelerate impact and ensure no young person is left behind?