Stephen has spoken at an event run by the Learning and Work Institute entitled “Facing the Future: employment prospects for young people after coronavirus”.
Organised in collaboration with The Prince’s Trust and HSBC, the event was an opportunity to explore the impacts of Covid-19 on young people in the world of work. Young people are more likely to have been furloughed, 16–24-year-olds account for three in five of all jobs lost since the start of the pandemic, and youth unemployment is three times the overall unemployment rate.
Drawing on his work as the Chair of the Select Committee for Work and Pensions, Stephen highlighted the possibility of the pandemic entrenching existing inequalities in the labour market, particularly disadvantaging black young people and those with disabilities. He also warned of the ‘scarring’ effect of the pandemic, with the time out of employment or education impacting this generation in the longer-term.
Stephen welcomed the Government’s Kickstart Scheme, launched to support young people into work. However, he argued that it did not go far enough. It should be open to for 16-24 year olds who are not in receipt of Universal Credit, and it should run for longer than planned. He also called for the government to seriously consider a ‘job guarantee’ scheme of some sort, which proved very effective in the Future Jobs Fund launched in 2009 after the last financial crash.
Speaking at the event, Stephen said: “To tackle the long-term impact of this pandemic on our young people, we will need to see a concerted national effort – from government, to employers, to the charitable sector. That is why I am delighted that the Learning and Work institute have hosted this important event alongside HSBC, The Prince’s Trust, and those of us in the House of Commons.”