Smaller towns hit harder by youth joblessness

Analysis by the Centre for Cities shows smaller English cities and towns have higher rates of sixteen to twenty-four year olds out of employment and education than the nine largest cities.

The numbers: smaller towns versus big cities

Ten smallest cities and towns averaged fifteen point seven percent youth unemployment, compared with thirteen point nine percent across the nine largest cities. The average across England is twelve point six percent.

Blackpool, Slough and Telford hit hardest

Blackpool has a Neet rate of twenty-one point two percent with two thousand six hundred sixty young people affected.Slough has fourteen point one percent with two thousand one hundred seventy.

London and Birmingham have most Neets overall

London has one hundred seventeen thousand ninety-five Neets at thirteen point one percent. Birmingham has forty-four thousand nine hundred ninety-five at fifteen point nine percent, the highest rate among large cities.

Weak economies are the root cause

Rob Johnson, senior analyst at the Centre for Cities, said higher Neet rates in smaller towns reflect their weaker economies and proximity to larger cities.

“A big root cause of higher rates of Neets in these places is because we know these are cities that have weaker economies.”

Telford opens Skills Shop to tackle crisis

Telford College opened the Skills Shop in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions to connect young people with education, local employers and mentors in the shopping centre.

Multiple drivers, no single solution

Sarah Davies, executive director of employer engagement at Telford College, said the Neet crisis has multiple causes including the Covid-nineteen pandemic, mental health disorders and job market changes, with no one size fits all solution.

“It's a national concern because young people are our future. If you're out of work, you're more likely to stay out of work.”

George Bate: degree but no gaming jobs

George Bate, twenty-one, graduated with a degree in games design but found no opportunities in gaming. He is now training as an HGV driver after being signposted by the jobcentre.

“I'd applied to most of the stuff around the area and just didn't get a response, so that was the disheartening part.”

Young people want work, not barriers

George Bate said lack of career progression makes finding work stressful. Charlie Pryce, nineteen, also training as an HGV driver, said young people want to work but face barriers to training and employment.

“People our age, we've got a long life ahead of us and we actually want to do work.”

Transport costs block opportunity

George Hounsell, CEO of four All Foundation, a charity working across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, said many young people cited lack of opportunities and transport barriers as obstacles to employment.

“We have lots of families not being able to afford to drive or not being able to afford public transport. That's a big problem.”