Suffolk PCC 'concerned' over lack of jobs for young people
Tim Psssmore warns they are being 'set up to fail'
Suffolk's police and crime commissioner (PCC) has voiced his concerns over the lack of job opportunities available to young people in the region.
Over a million young people across the country are currently out of work or education, raising fears about the future of the UK.
The PCC, Tim Passmore, is calling for more support to help them secure employment and is particularly focused on the impact within Suffolk.
He stressed the necessity for apprenticeships and employment opportunities, with a strong focus on leveraging public sector procurement to create these openings.
The PCC warned against prioritising cost over social value, cautioning that failing to invest in young people's employment prospects could set the country up to fail.
"Getting young people into work on a fair rate of return so they can progress is essential," he said.
"If we don't do that, youngsters are our future. We are setting the whole country up to fail, and it simply is unacceptable."
Amid these concerns, the Government has announced plans to create 300,000 new job placements for young people over the next three years.
These placements, backed by some of Britain's biggest employers like Manchester and Gatwick airports, will be available nationwide, including Suffolk.
The Department for Work and Pensions confirms that the placements will consist of work experience and Sector-based Work Academy Programmes.
These programmes, designed for jobseekers claiming benefits, offer training, hands-on workplace experience, and guaranteed job interviews.
"The evidence is clear; give young people real work experience, and the chances of them building a lasting career increase dramatically," Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said.
Former Labour cabinet minister Alan Milburn, who led the review into Neets (young people not in education, employment, or training), warned of the risk of a "lost generation."
He noted that work experience is often treated as an afterthought by schools, putting those without strong networks at a disadvantage.
Youth unemployment in the UK has reached its highest level in over a decade, and ministers are under pressure to tackle what has been termed a 'challenge.'