Sadly, 2012 is not a good year to be a school leaver. With the cost of further and higher education rising and few job vacancies available, it is no surprise that many feel frustrated and unable to progress.
This year's school leavers are in real danger of losing momentum and slipping into NEET status - not in education, employment or training. Many of their predecessors have already done so.
In England alone there were 183,000 NEETs aged 16-18 in the first quarter of 2012. This is roughly equivalent to the population of Luton. Add NEETs in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and it is clear that the UK faces a serious social and economic challenge.
A single person trapped in NEET status represents an incalculable waste of education, energy and potential - a cost to the community, rather than a benefit. Worse still, an extended period in NEET status may affect a young person's ability to find good work and earn a living throughout their lives.
A solution to this problem is required urgently. The Government has already taken action, implementing the Work Programme and the Youth Contract. Both are focused on younger job seekers and both aim to provide extra support in finding that crucial first job.
The Government response alone may not be sufficient, however; businesses can and must also play a part and the UK's food and grocery industry is keen to offer a lead.
These businesses already account for one in seven jobs - about 3.6 million people. And with this scale comes responsibility and desire to make a difference. Coming together through IGD, the industry has created a new programme, Feeding Britain's Future, run in association with Jobcentre Plus.
Our current project is a week of activity in September 2012, during which businesses across the UK will open their doors to unemployed people aged between 16 and 24.
We aim to provide participants with practical training, experience and advice to give them a sharper competitive edge in an exceptionally difficult labour market.
In preparing for Feeding Britain's Future, IGD held a special youth forum in Birmingham, an unemployment black spot.
At the forum, I had the privilege to meet many talented and determined young people, desperate to make their mark in the workplace, but forced to overcome one setback after another.
Most of them were highly articulate and intelligent, but didn't know how to package their skills and experiences. One person had, for example, worked in a charity shop but didn't put it on her CV because it wasn't the same as a regular shop. While another didn't apply for a particular job because it required a strong team player, even though he was the captain of his local football team.
This is where the week in September can help, by giving young people confidence in their own abilities and experiences to help them find a job.
The UK's young people have the potential to be a benefit to any business - whichever industry they end up in. But I hope that the best and the brightest do choose a career in food and drink.
This is a diverse industry, a chain that links farmers, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and caterers.
Businesses vary from small, owner-operated specialist concerns to large multinationals with brand names that are known around the world.
This diversity means that a wide range of different skills are needed and, for the right candidate, the opportunity to progress is almost limitless.
Through Feeding Britain's Future and other activities, we hope to give many a helping hand in preparing for their potential careers - whether that's help getting their foot on the first rung, or climbing higher as they strive to succeed.
Joanne Denney-Finch OBE is chief executive of IGD
