Young people ‘expected’ to engage with government's new work support plans.

It would also help if we stopped all the negative talk to young people telling them how miserable their lives are, how few opportunities there are for them, how they will never be able to afford a house or get a permanent jobs.

My DC went to secondary school in the 1980s when unemployment was around 3 million, and the employment rate around 10% and we had all the negative nay saying we have today.

We had enormous difficulty getting our DD to do GCSEs and even greater problem keeping her in education until 18. She could see no point, everyone was telling her her generation was doomed, they would never get good jobs or decent wages or own a house etc etc.

Look at that generation of 50 year olds as they are now. Obviously some people's lives have gone better than others, but many live in nice houses have cars, go on holidays. It is their generation that fill most of the senior roles in every organisation, private or public. . Andy Burnham is one of that generation.

It will be very much the same with the current generation. But what we need to do is talk them up. Do not tell them that they will never succeed, do not tell them they have no chance, do not tell them they will be in poverty all their lives, We simply do not know.

I am not suggesting making things to be better than they are, but we all make jokes about glass half full/glass half empty people, so let us talk to youngsters in a glass half full tone, not a glass half empty manner. They will make their own future, not us

DD's 18 year old self would be amazed to see how much her 50 year old self has achieved. She has a home and a car and can afford to go on holiday.

I don't think you can blame the number of young people out of work on Dyslexia. My daughter is Dyslexic, and has a degree and a professional job. I won't say it was easy, and as with any disability success depends on determination and a lot of application, but in itself it will not necessarily hold someone back to the point of not being employable.

Combined with generational unemployment/mistrust of education/low expectations, however, it is part of a bigger picture, but IMO not a large part. Not as important as attitude and the expectations of parents and teachers, I don't think - they are the big things holding young people back, but so is the fact that there are so few jobs available to 'Gen Z' young people (my daughter is a Millennial).

Also, motivation is hugely affected by high housing costs and low wages, which combine to force young people to live at home with parents for much longer than most of us will have done. So many of the problems we have today come down to that, I think. We need to increase incomes and lower housing and other basic costs.

All the same, if people (of any working age) are not expected to work, then many of them won't. I don't see a problem with expecting people to do something to pay their way. If someone refuses to even engage with work initiatives why should they get benefits? There is no point in having initiatives if people can ignore them.

They do need to be backed up with real jobs though. A housebuilding programme would create jobs at all levels, which would be a start. If we are going to build up defences, that would create more. If the jobs created don't pay well, initiatives such as lower taxes for young people, or 3 tax free years on starting work might make a difference. People do need to feel that there is a point to working, and I can understand why someone to whom the thought of owning or renting a home of their own and having an 'adult' life seems impossible might hesitate to engage.

David49 I know a lot about neurodivergence, including dyslexia. I come from a family where neurodivegence is prevalent through several generations and DS and I were diagnosed with dyspraxia in the 1980s At the same time I had a close friend coping with 2 dyslexic children. Yes, the presence of dyslexia among NEETS is higher than in the population in general and even higher in the prison population, but it still remains that the majority of children, and prisoners who are illiterate do not have dyslexia. It is a combination of poor home background and poor education

Of course it will be a good thing to have pupils leave school with "job-ready" experience and qualifications.
But how is AB going to magic entry-level jobs into existence when employers are finding it hard to meet the increase in payroll costs, NI and minimum wage having gone up?

Alan Milburn has conducted an independent review of nearly 1 1 million young people who fall into the NEET category for the government. He's published the first part of his review and the second part to follow. The government will build on the recommendations.

Milbun did not speak to all the nearly one million NEETS, that would have been impossible, but he did speak to a proportion as well as other key stakeholders.

M0nica

Yes, but that is only a small part of what is needed and those with dyslexia are not numerous.

What needs to be done, most of all, is speak to the NEETS find out what they want and the best way of delivering it to them.

Degrees of Dyslexia are much more prevalent than you realize along with all the other learning difficulties, large numbers are not diagnosed and not visible. The prisons are full of inmates with learning problems.
Looking back to my school days we were streamed according to ability a lot in the lower streams had undoubtedly got some degree of deficiency, they were not just thick.

Yes, but that is only a small part of what is needed and those with dyslexia are not numerous.

What needs to be done, most of all, is speak to the NEETS find out what they want and the best way of delivering it to them.

M0nica

same old same old.

Anyone thought to talk to the NEETs, to find what they want, what they cannot access that wouldhelp them and how they can best access it? Any scheme will need to include getting them up to a minimum of basic literacy, and numeracy and teach communication skills.

Yes basic literacy BUT you have to accept that there are some that cannot reach that standard, I have known several business owners who are badly dyslexic, writing is illegible and wouldn't pass 11+ arithmetic. They all have someone, a wife or parent usually who keeps the communications and finances straight.

There have very good with ideas and verbally, without continual help they would be lost

same old same old.

Anyone thought to talk to the NEETs, to find what they want, what they cannot access that wouldhelp them and how they can best access it? Any scheme will need to include getting them up to a minimum of basic literacy, and numeracy and teach communication skills.

I agree Cossy- sadly some children do have absent parents and miss out on a half decent upbringing.

If they see or experience nothing different, have no other support, are not taught any skills elsewhere that their parents failed to teach them, they will grow up carrying their experience forward when they have children of their own.

LemonJam

Meanwhile the UK government provides state education to support children reach their potential and serve society as they become adult.

The government is seeking changes to expect young children (NEETS) to engage with the government with new support proposals to find work with a strong suggestion that financial benefits will be conditional upon their engagement.

Its not in society's interest to have an ever growing number of NEETS,

It absolutely isn’t!!

Whilst I completely agree what is and what isn’t a “parents role”, many of us here will have benefited from a half decent upbringing. In turn we will have “discarded” those parts we felt were not great and adopted those we felt were positive.

Some children have completely absent parents, both literally and visually. These skills around upbringing or parenting or whatever we choose to call them, don’t just magically happen, like everything they are learned, from absorbing what they see around them.

Meanwhile the UK government provides state education to support children reach their potential and serve society as they become adult.

The government is seeking changes to expect young children (NEETS) to engage with the government with new support proposals to find work with a strong suggestion that financial benefits will be conditional upon their engagement.

Its not in society's interest to have an ever growing number of NEETS,

eazybee

How about banging on about families not preparing their children for work: punctuality, time keeping, a work ethic, politeness and a sense of responsibility should all be inculcated at home.

Absolutely - it is incumbent of the parent(s) to install those values into their children so that as young adults they make their way in life and have much to offer the world. As a single parent I sought to bring up my two children with those values and they are now responsible adults. All too often it becomes 'the government' should do this and that and it's 'the government ' who should sort out young people's problems when in actual fact the root problem begins at home and is about parents taking responsibility and bringing up their children to become responsible adults capable of becoming useful and self sufficient.

Bringing up/upbringing were the terms then ànd I think less off-putting than parenting

Mothers were able to bring up children. They weren't expected to work as well.

The Southend College of Technology entrance age was 18. I entered at 14. Passed all the exams and got my first job in the City of London at 15. My older colleagues taught me about life. I wasn’t a fan.

LemonJam

See new post 'Burnham to tell schools in England to adapt teaching to local business needs'- sounds like the government is seeking to join the dots by involving teachers and schools....

Some schools have been doing this, by offering GNVQ type training as an alternative to A levels, but many still do not.

I do wonder though if this is not better served by existing tech and FE colleges for economies of scale. After all, a school can only offer a limited range to fit it all in to space and budget.

Here, there is an engineering biased college that takes children pre-GCSE offering vocational courses aimed at local industry.

Parenting wasn’t a word I ever heard when my children were children. Bringing up/upbringing were the terms then ànd I think less off-putting than parenting.

We have a generation of parents for whom education has done nothing so they bring their children up to think it’s of little use and importance.

Am I right in thinking that on the whole at age 16 girls are more realistic than boys about the need to find some sort job if they’re leaving traditional full time education. If so, does that explain what seems like a dearth of apprenticeships in areas likely to attract girls.?

GrannyGravy13

LemonJam

Aside from poor parenting child and teenage behaviour and social skills most importantly are often also adversely impacted by screen time and peer pressure.

Parents can't be blamed for everything.

Parenting starts from birth.

Good habits, manners and social skills should be a way of life, not something sprung onto teenagers at 16.

With all the social media platforms I am amazed that some parents do not know how to parent.

I expect they do. But they are up against it. Poor, insecure housing, the worst schools, no Sure Start, no family network, health problems.

Who would argue parenting starts at birth? 🤷‍♀️

LemonJam

Aside from poor parenting child and teenage behaviour and social skills most importantly are often also adversely impacted by screen time and peer pressure.

Parents can't be blamed for everything.

Parenting starts from birth.

Good habits, manners and social skills should be a way of life, not something sprung onto teenagers at 16.

With all the social media platforms I am amazed that some parents do not know how to parent.

They are all "proposals" and none of it is law yet, I presume?

Burnham is using a range of social media / PR strategies:

He’s ‘flooding the zone’ (Trumpian).

He’s developing his ‘brand’ on SM - acting more like an influencer / content creator than a ‘traditional’ PM. This enables him to avoid awkward questions from the media e.g. scrutiny.

He’s using some current SM ‘tricks’ e.g. ‘rating pub snacks’ & the ‘employment ladder’.

I don’t pretend to get any of this stuff, but it’s discussed & explained (far better than I can explain it) in the latest episode of The Private Eye podcast.

I found it illuminating!

I feel the same way knspol about all you have written, except perhaps the last line.

Someone I saw yesterday said, she cant understand how everything he says can just go through and get done.

Am I the only one finding it difficult to keep up with all these newly announced changes? Seems to me I read these headlines without any details and don't see any govt. ministers on the news or whatever explaining/elaborating on them. I know it's the parliamentary recess but surely these things have been thought through and discussed with ministers and civil servants beforehand re details and implementation enough that the public might be better informed?

Aside from poor parenting child and teenage behaviour and social skills most importantly are often also adversely impacted by screen time and peer pressure.

Parents can't be blamed for everything.