Mayor of London Calls on Businesses to Help Drive Down Youth Unemployment

Strategic Insights -

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is urging big businesses in the capital to help drive down youth unemployment by opening their doors to apprentices and graduate trainees. With new unemployment figures showing a continuing rise in youth unemployment, the Mayor is calling on businesses to look again at the benefits of taking on a young person as an apprentice. He believes that work experience, apprenticeships, paid internships, and graduate training schemes are cost-effective ways for businesses to tap into young Londoners' potential and for young people to gain the experience they need to get ahead.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is calling on big businesses to help drive down youth unemployment by opening their doors to apprentices and graduate trainees.
  • London's jobs market is more competitive than ever, particularly for young people who can find it tough to compete and secure even entry-level positions.
  • The Mayor is extending the current campaign to boost the number of apprenticeships in London from 40,000 created in the past year to 100,000 by the end of 2012, in partnership with the National Apprenticeship Service.
  • New unemployment figures out today show a continuing rise in youth unemployment across the capital.
  • The Mayor believes that work experience, apprenticeships, paid internships, and graduate training schemes are cost-effective ways for businesses to tap into young Londoners' potential and for young people to gain the experience they need to get ahead.
  • The Mayor's plans to build 55,000 affordable homes between 2011-15 will create over 100,000 jobs.
  • The GLA Group generated over 1,000 jobs for unemployed Londoners within its contractor workforce in 2010-11 and has invested £300,000 to ensure a similar amount this year.
  • The Outer London Fund is investing £50m into capital's town centres and high streets, helping to boost economic activity and increase employment in areas not benefiting from major infrastructure projects.

Statistics:

  • 40,000 apprenticeships created in the past year
  • 100,000 apprenticeships target by the end of 2012
  • £300,000 invested by the GLA Group to generate jobs for unemployed Londoners in 2011-12
  • 1,000 jobs generated by the GLA Group for unemployed Londoners in 2010-11
  • £50m invested by the Outer London Fund to boost economic activity and increase employment in London
  • 55,000 affordable homes to be built between 2011-15, creating over 100,000 jobs

Sources:

  • "London Mayor calls on big business to tackle youth unemployment" by the Mayor of London
  • http://www.london.gov.uk/