Last week, the Standard ran a series of reports highlighting the plight of London’s young unemployed. Today, we are launching Skill Up Step Up, a £1 million joint Christmas appeal with The Independent, to support young jobless people into work and in doing so transform lives.
Our appeal has three calls to action. First, to persuade the capital’s unemployed youth to sign up for free employability training from our partners. Second, for employers to step up and offer young people work opportunities and apprenticeships. And third, to you, our readers, to donate where you can so we can help as many as possible get into work and fulfil their potential.
Upskilling is vital not only for individuals but also for the future prosperity of our city. The skills mismatch explains in part how it is possible that we have witnessed youth unemployment in London soar by 55 per cent since the start of the pandemic while at the same time there are a record 1.17 million job vacancies across the country.
In the London hospitality sector alone, the cost of the mismatch in lost productivity is estimated at more than £2 billion.
The challenge is a significant one. Upskilling, retraining, and providing personalised support for young people will require an all-city effort. That is why it is up to each of us — employers big and small, national and local government, readers, and of course young people themselves — to get this right.
The young have in many ways borne the brunt of the pandemic. Now is the opportunity to change that, help them to develop new careers, and provide a shot in the arm to the capital’s recovery.
