Martin Murray, leader of Staffordshire County Council, has warned that young people across the country face a serious employment crisis unless the Government and councils act urgently together. Speaking at the Local Government Association's annual conference, Mr Murray said the combination of poor school performance, shortages of further education places, and financial pressures on local employers could have "devastating consequences" and create "a lost generation of skills, ambitions and talent."
Staffordshire's Response
Staffordshire County Council has introduced a new Get Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Working Plan and Skills for Growth Plan. These focus on preparing young people for jobs in advanced manufacturing, logistics, artificial intelligence, construction and hospitality.
However, Mr Murray stressed that local action alone is not enough to address the scale of the problem.
The National Picture
Mr Murray highlighted the financial imbalance in current spending. The UK currently spends around £25 in benefits for every £1 spent on youth employment support. Youth unemployment costs the country an estimated £125 billion annually.
Mr Murray called on the Government to coordinate a "whole system" national approach, saying: "This is a generation worth fighting for. We now need the Government to listen to us, but more importantly to listen to our young people and step up before a generation is left behind."