Councils have several statutory duties relating to youth participation; to ensure all young people participate in education or training. This Local Government Association report paints a fragmented picture of 17 funding streams managed by eight departments or agencies, spending more than £10 billion a year. This results in a lack of join-up at a local level and a system that doesn’t work for everyone and many young people fall through the gaps.
Furthermore, the unexpected Covid-19 crisis has only exacerbated a bad situation into a dire one that calls on immediate Government action to tackle the disproportionate effect of the crisis on young people. Some of these will demand a swift response with quick measures while others, for example, more structural reforms, a medium-term response.
Councils and combined authorities are already working closely with employers, colleges and many others involved in education and job-training to try and ensure nobody is left behind after we get through this crisis. However, they are hamstrung by a national employment and skills system that is increasingly centralised and ineffective.
The Government needs to use the Spending Review to devolve careers advice, post-16 and skills budgets and powers to local areas. This would allow councils, schools, colleges and employers to work together to improve provision for young people so that they can get on in life. They are ideally placed to bring employment and skills initiatives together.
This report makes several key recommendations to support an inclusive economic recovery – helping young people to ensure that the next generation doesn’t become a lost ‘pandemic generation’ with scars for years to come.