CIPD comment on the DWP announcement on young people and apprenticeships

Commenting on the DWP announcement on young people and apprenticeships, Lizzie Crowley, Senior Policy Advisor ‑ Skills at the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, said:

"We welcome the additional support to help more young people access apprenticeships, in particular the new bursary which will help remove an important financial barrier for disabled young people.

"However, given the scale of the challenge facing young people, the government now needs to consider going further. Youth unemployment remains far too high and apprenticeship opportunities for young people have fallen sharply in recent years.

“The government could unlock more apprenticeship opportunities for young people by an Apprenticeship Guarantee for all 16-to 24-year-olds who want one. This has strong support from employers, with almost nine in ten backing a guarantee and 60% saying they would be able to provide an opportunity for a young person if one were introduced.

"The government should also look again at the wider costs facing employers and consider reversing the reduction in the employer NICs secondary threshold. This has made it harder for businesses to create the entry-level jobs young people need and to invest in the skills and workforce development that underpin organisational performance and productivity. A further immediate step to support youth employment would be to pause any further equalisation of the youth and adult National Minimum Wage rates.”