Naomi Hulston, chief executive of Catch22, and Tracy Fishwick, managing director of Transform Lives Company, bring honesty, urgency and optimism to a conversation that asks a simple, challenging question: why is youth unemployment still so high, when we already know so much about what works?
Right now, a million young people in the UK are not in education, employment or training. Naomi and Tracy break down some of the biggest issues behind that scary stat.
We’re at risk of losing a whole generation to disillusionment.
Investing in young people isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s essential to the UK’s long-term social and economic future.
We know what works; what we lack is continuity.
Subsidised employment, quality work placements and building employability into everyday life skills all change lives. The challenge is adopting them at scale and designing them with young people.
Young people are building real skills, just not where the system is looking.
From gaming and content creation to volunteering, young people are developing skills in places the system ignores. Because we don’t measure them, value them or help young people translate them into the labour market.
Employers want to help; many just need the right support.
Employers have a critical role, but they need support. Many want to do more to help, but myths about ‘work-readiness’ get in the way. The magic happens when we create space – think subsidies or incentives – for employers to take a chance on young talent.
The big message from this episode – we don’t need brand new ideas. We need staying power and a system that recognises and rewards the talent young people are developing every day.
“A million young people out of education or work isn’t their failure. It’s ours.” – Tracy Fishwick.
“Young people are finding their own way, but outside the system designed for them.” – Naomi Hulston
