- 62 business leaders, frontline charities and employers sign joint letter to PM
- North East has 1 in 5 NEET young people, compared to just 1 in 8 across Britain. This is equal to 53,000 young people, enough to fill St James’ Park
- Letter endorses Centre for Social Justice plan for region’s NEET free future
Community and business leaders from across the North East have united to urge the PM to give them the means to tackle the region’s NEETs (not in employment, education or training) crisis.
62 signatories, including Leo Fenwick, Jim Ryan and Daniel Harrison MBE, have written to Andy Burnham over their shared concern of the region’s NEET rate.
They want Mr Burnham to give his full backing to a think tank’s solution to get young Brits into work.
They write that, although their coalition ‘is comprised of many organisations already doing extraordinary work to reach these young people’, they lack ‘the full backing to get more young people moving forward in life’.
The letter endorses the recent Centre for Social Justice report, 16-24 Going Under, which found that the region’s NEET rate (1 in 5) is much higher than the national rate (1 in 8).
The CSJ’s report drew on new evidence from more than 120 charities, employers and community groups in the North East and was produced in partnership with Fenwick. It found that ‘perverse incentives’ in the welfare system, an education system too focused on university destinations, and rising costs to employers are all fuelling the crisis.
Over half of the 16- to 24-year-olds claiming Universal Credit while out of work in the North East are in the ‘no work requirements’ group – the highest rate in the UK – fuelled by soaring mental health related benefit claims.
Over four in five (82 per cent) of all 16- to 24-year-old Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants record a psychiatric disorder as their main disabling condition.
The CSJ called on the government and North East Mayor to:
- Rebalance the welfare system by targeting mental health benefits to more severe cases and investing savings in a major expansion of frontline mental health and employment support for young people.
- Designate the North East as the pathfinder for an improved, work-based V-level combining three days at college with two days in a paid work placement, funded by an extension of the Youth Guarantee.
- Bolster regional growth by establishing a pipeline of Mayoral Development Corporations to quicken development throughout the region.
- Bring youth and NEET funding into the North East’s Integrated Settlement, giving the region greater flexibility to invest in frontline employment support over the long-term.
The 62 signatories stress that they ‘stand ready to deliver’ this plan and only ask the PM for the ‘chance to show what we can do’.
Leo Fenwick, Strategic Partnerships Director at Fenwick, said:
“This letter is a testament to the ambition and enthusiasm of our region to ensure that today’s young people get the opportunity to flourish. But it’s clear we need the Prime Minister’s support to unleash the North East’s potential.
“The future success of our region depends on the success of the next generation. At Fenwick, we are determined to do our bit to unlock it.”
Tom Rawcliffe, Researcher at the CSJ, said:
“The North East’s challenge is both larger and deeper than it is anywhere else. Whole communities have been abandoned to worklessness and deprivation.
“But this letter demonstrates that the North East is not a passive victim. It has a group of leaders already doing extraordinary work to help young people. They support our plan to tackle this crisis.
“The PM should listen and back local leaders with a targeted strike at the crisis. Now is not the time for timidity; if we can solve the NEETs issue in the North East, we can solve it anywhere.”
Notes to editors
About Fenwick
Britain’s family of style pioneers since 1882. Fenwick offers a curated edit across fashion, beauty and lifestyle, presented in an inspirational shopping environment across eight stores and digital. Fenwick is the largest family-owned group of department stores in the United Kingdom offering in-store events, bespoke services, treatment rooms and innovative restaurants.