NEARLY HALF A MILLION ‘HIDDEN’ YOUNG PEOPLE LEFT WITHOUT STATE HELP TO SURVIVE AND FIND WORK
New research has found that 480,000 16- to 24-year-olds are missing out on both benefits and advice – no less than 60 per cent of the official total of young jobless. The Deputy Political Editor of The Independent (Rob Merrick) says “many of them have good job prospects, boasting impressive GCSE qualifications and having continued with their education beyond 16. But they refuse to go to job centres because they are “unhelpful” or they “fear being treated badly” – due to the threat of sanctions – while others lack the necessary documents.”
There are some interesting findings within this German study that prompt us to think about Job (Careers) Information Centres for young people – https://www.iza.org/publications/dp/8100
“This study examines the causal link between individuals’ occupational knowledge, educational choices, and labor market outcomes. We proxy occupational knowledge with mandatory visits to job information centers (JICs) in Germany while still attending school. Exogenous variation in the location and timing of JIC openings allow estimating causal effects in a difference-in-difference setup. Combining linked survey-administrative data with data on JICs permits to detect whether individuals benefited from the comprehensive information service when they were young. The results suggest that individuals, who went to school in administrative districts with a JIC, have higher educational attainments and a smoother transfer to the labor market than students who did not have access to these facilities. However, we find no effects on individuals’ earnings in their first job or later in life. Overall, our results confirm the importance of policies that promote occupational knowledge among young adults.”
England should look to Northern Ireland and Scotland to learn from their approaches to high street one-stop shops. If you want more information, simply contact me.