The Pathways Into Employment Manifesto 2015 set out key areas where the YMCA believes Jobcentre Plus needs to improve. It highlights the need for better training and flexibility to allow young people to source their own training schemes.
It also requests an expansion of the ‘preferred’ providers Jobcentre Plus recommends to young people, and calls for Jobcentre Plus advisers to receive training to better support young people.
YMCA Central CEO Rosi Prescott said “urgent changes are required” and that Jobcentre Plus has “a clear role to play in ensuring no-one is left behind as the recovery takes effect”.
The Labour party figures found the number of young people in BAME communities that are unemployed rose by 49% in the last five years (2010-2015).
Prescott said although London has one of the lowest proportions of young people classed as NEETs (not in employment, education or training), there is still a significant gap by race. While 86% of young, white British people living in London are employed, only 68% of Black African and Caribbean young people are.
“It is unacceptable to have such high levels of youth unemployment when there is such scope for increasing training, apprenticeships, and creating opportunities for employment,” Prescott added.
“Failure to spend money now is costing us many times this figure in lost productivity and revenue as well as creating a drain on benefits, not just now but for years to come.”
