Burnham calls youth employment crisis a ‘moral failure’

Prime Minister Andy Burnham says the UK must overhaul its support for young people who are not in education, employment or training, calling their situation an “economic catastrophe and moral failure”. He argues the government should prioritise helping them into work over relying on benefits.

Writing in the Times, Burnham said benefits should be “the backstop, not the starting point”. He said the support system should begin with a young person’s ambitions and the help they need to reach them, while retaining a safety net for those unable to work. [1]

Office for National Statistics data puts the number of 16-to-24-year-olds in this position at nearly one million. Burnham cited the effects of Covid lockdowns, social media, an education system focused on university, too few job opportunities and previous governments’ failures as contributing factors. [1]

Ministers are expected this week to announce tens of thousands of apprenticeships and placements, including in construction and at accounting, consulting and legal firms. The Conservative Party’s business and trade spokesperson, Julia Lopez, called Labour’s youth employment strategy “a disaster”, blaming tax rises and regulation for making it harder for businesses to hire. [1]

Burnham also said a review of young people and work, led by former health secretary Alan Milburn, would be published next month. Milburn has argued for moving more spending from benefits towards employment support. [1]