The UK’s four largest employer organisations have formally endorsed the Coalition Government’s flagship Youth Contract scheme and are urging their members to back the initiative.
At a roundtable discussion today, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg welcomed support from The Confederation of British Industry, British Chambers of Commerce, British Retail Consortium and Federation of Small Businesses for the scheme, which is intended to ensure every young person in the UK is either ‘earning or learning’. He also launched a new website to enable employers to sign up to the Youth Contract.
“The youth contract will make sure every unemployed young person starts earning or learning again before long term damage is done. But government can’t do this alone. We need businesses to play their part too,” Clegg said. “Every employer, from global corporations to small local firms, can get involved. They can register their interest at the new Youth Contract website for businesses.”
Clegg and Employment Minister Chris Grayling also met with senior representatives from some of the UK’s largest businesses, including Marks and Spencer, John Lewis, BT and Asda, to discuss the scheme and hear about their own initiatives to encourage youth employment, training and apprenticeships. Future meetings are also planned with the welfare-to-work industry and voluntary sector.
The £1bn Youth Contract was launched by the Deputy Prime Minister in November last year. As of April this year, it is intended to provide nearly half-a-million new placements for young people, including apprenticeships and work experience as well as cash payments to try and encourage employers to hire young people.
