The facts in your report (Black youth unemployment rate of 40% similar to time of Brixton riots, data shows, 11 April) are appalling but, sadly, not surprising. It’s undeniable that young black jobseekers have been hit disproportionately hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. My own work on employability programmes for marginalised young people strongly supports this finding.
Young black people in the UK were already battling against systematic barriers to employment, leading to a lack of diversity in so many workplaces. One of the unintended consequences of Covid-19 has been the accelerated clarity it has provided around the real impact on those suffering from digital exclusion, for example, which is a key barrier to education and employability.
The long-term impact of unemployment is devastating – but unemployed should never mean unemployable. If we are going to realise the incredible potential of this generation, it is crucial that we find innovative and diverse ways to close the gaps in educational and employment opportunity by broadening both options and access.
Alex Cole
CEO, TIN Smart Social
