Today I signed the Youth Friendly MP Charter which pledges support to five key principles of youth employment in Thirsk and Malton. The Charter is spearheaded by Youth Employment UK, which was set up in 2012 to tackle unemployment, and enable MPs to better understand the barriers and challenges facing young people.
It followed a survey earlier this year of three thousand 14-24 years olds transitioning from education to employment. The survey revealed that young people fear, above all else, that a lack of experience, perceived lack of jobs and mental health challenges will prevent them from finding work.
The charter’s principles include:
Youth Voice – listening to young people in order to understand their barriers and challenges to employment, and work to help them to overcome these challenges.
Developing Young People – supporting quality learning and development opportunities for all young people, advocating education and training pathways that meet the needs of individuals.
Creating Opportunities – Supporting good quality youth employment and recognising those Youth Friendly Employers that are leading the way in offering quality early careers, work experience and employment opportunities to young people.
Recognising Young Talent – Celebrating the important role young people play in our local economy as employees, apprentices, and graduates, and their role in our local community through social action and volunteering.
Fair Employment – Helping to ensure that young people are treated fairly in the work they do.
Young people are our future. Employers, educators, government, parents and youth groups need to come together to support young people in every way we can to make sure that they have the education and training they need to fulfil their potential. We need to encourage employers to give them work experience and job opportunities so they can develop the careers of their choice and we need to ensure that they are treated fairly. If we invest in them now, we will all reap the rewards later.
