Supporting Care Leavers into Employment

17 Mar

Question

The question session titled 'Supporting Care Leavers into Employment' explored the steps being taken by the government to assist care leavers in finding employment. The primary discussions revolved around the effectiveness of existing measures, the need for more impactful strategies, and the financial implications of the current youth support landscape.

Key initiatives highlighted included the £3,000 apprenticeship bursary for care leavers aged 16 to 24 and the overarching youth guarantee that promises access to employment, education, or training opportunities for young individuals, including care leavers.

Significant statistics were put forth by Josh MacAlister, pointing out that 39% of care-experienced individuals are not in education, employment, or training (NEET), emphasizing the need for transformative policies to bridge this gap.

The dialogue conveyed bipartisan recognition of the problem, with both speakers agreeing on the unacceptability of current statistics, thereby showing a unified front in recognizing the issue's gravity and highlighting the urgency for innovative solutions. No new commitments were announced during this session, but there was a consensus on the necessity for proactive measures.

39% of care leavers are not in education, employment, or training.

This emphasizes the challenges faced by care leavers and the necessity for more effective intervention programs.

Outcome:

Consensus was reached on the urgency to improve the employment prospects for care leavers. Although no new policies were outlined, the acknowledgment of issues by government officials sets a groundwork for potential upcoming policy revisions or initiatives.

£145 million annual lost tax revenue.

An economic evaluation of potential contributions by care leavers if effectively integrated into the workforce.

Statistics:

39% NEET Rate: Care-experienced individuals have a significantly high rate of not being in education, employment, or training, highlighting the systemic barriers they face.
£145 million in lost tax revenue: This figure underscores the economic consequence of underemployment within this group and amplifies the cost of inaction.

Outcome

The session concluded with a shared understanding among the speakers of the dire need to address the employment gap for care leavers. While specific new actions were not committed to, solidarity among the parties suggests potential for future bipartisan policy developments.

Key Contributions

Josh MacAlisterN/A

Labour

Queried about the steps taken by the Department to support care leavers into employment.

Andrew WesternN/A

N/A

Agreed with Josh MacAlister on the unacceptable NEET rate among care leavers.

Original Transcript

Josh MacAlister

Whitehaven and Workington

Lab

Question

UIN: 903211

18. What steps her Department is taking to support care leavers into employment.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Andrew Western

The Department supports care leavers aged 16 to 24 through an extensive range of interventions to help them into employment.

For example, care leavers who start an apprenticeship are signposted to a £3,000 bursary from their training provider, and they can still receive universal credit if they are on a low income.

More broadly, under the new youth guarantee, all young people aged 18 to 21 in England, including care leavers, will have access to support to enter employment, education or training opportunities.

Josh MacAlister

Some 39% of care-experienced young people are not in education, employment or training—three times the average rate—and that is costing the UK over £145 million a year in lost tax revenue alone.

We cannot achieve the ambition of getting Britain working unless we unlock the potential of this amazing group of young people. Do Ministers agree that we need to take bold, imaginative action to radically improve the number going into work?

Andrew Western

My hon. Friend is absolutely correct to highlight those statistics. The number of care leavers not in education, employment or training is absolutely unacceptable, and he will be stunned to hear that I am in full agreement with him.

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