Comment: Can charities provide the answer to the unemployment crisis in the young?

The Milburn report last week that showed the number of young people aged 16-24 not in employment, education or training (described as NEETs) has reached the highest level in 12 years, with one in 6 young people predicted to be in this category within five years if the government doesn’t tackle the issue urgently.  

This sobering report tracks with my sense of malaise in the Chichester constituency, with businesses across all sectors telling me with cost pressures so high, they are less likely to take risks on employing young people than they were a few years ago.  

To combat growing unemployment, Jess Brown-Fuller is calling for greater engagement between local charities and our young people.

Most young people cut their teeth in hospitality, I certainly did in my first job washing pots in a local café when I was 13; yet pubs, restaurants and cafes are cutting staff to reduce costs and those opportunities are fewer for young people locally.  

We’ve got a wealth of talent locally, and I am always impressed by the young people I engage with in the Chichester constituency. So how should our local young people stand apart from the crowd when applying for roles that they currently don’t hear back from?  

As this week is National Volunteers Week and last week, I had the pleasure of hosting my annual Charity Fundraising Roundtable at One-O-Four in Chichester, bringing together over 50 CEOs, fundraisers and volunteers from local organisations to share knowledge and strengthen ties across the sector.  

What is apparent during these evenings is the huge wealth of knowledge, expertise and willingness to share that that exists in our voluntary sector locally and I am convinced this could provide the key to unlocking job opportunities for our young people locally by enhancing their CVs and working across generations, like so many of us did when we were young.  

One of the charities represented was the Volunteer Time Bank; a relatively new charity that matches volunteers with a charity that requires the specific skills that the person has to offer; I am excited to see how this can benefit young people in the Chichester area as they grow.