Looking ahead to the launch of the Get Britain Working white paper later today, Muniya Barua, Deputy Chief Executive of BusinessLDN, said: “Getting more people back into work is vital if the Government is to tackle skills shortages across the economy and deliver on its growth mission. This new white paper will set out important steps that should encourage many young people, ex-offenders and those on long-term sick leave to return to the labour market.
“Employers want to step up and help people onto the ladder but they’re facing a sharp rise in hiring costs following the Budget. The new youth guarantee should be shaped by close consultation with business to ensure it works in practice as training and apprenticeship requirements evolve in the face of a rapidly changing jobs market.
“We have long called for a new one-stop-shop bringing together employment support, careers advice and skills support. Proposals to fuse jobcentres with a new national careers service are a real step in the right direction together with greater devolution to Metro Mayors or regions across the country. The capital is home to the most complex labour market in the country so it should be at the front of the devolution queue, so that it can launch a new London Careers Service that helps more people of all ages into jobs.”