Alan Milburn is right, a young generation has been betrayed. Forget Tony Blair: we must attend to this
Polly Toynbee
OK:
The diagnosis is dire. Alan Milburn has published the first part of his forensic report on the lives and chances of young people, their fate after leaving school or college, the inadequacy of their health, education and pastoral care, and the reluctance of employers to hire them. This is a “moral crisis”, he says. There are now more than a million young people not in work, education or training (Neets), and Milburn expects that number to rise to 1.25 million without radical change. The government needs a “big idea”, he tells me. This should be it, “the spine, the purpose”.
So, a disaster. What should we do?
The right will find little comfort here. Did the raised employers’ national insurance, the increase in the minimum wage and the extra working rights cause the lack of entry-level jobs for the young? “Bullshit,” Milburn says bluntly. “This didn’t start two years ago. It’s not the cause of the crisis.”
So, no, we’re not going to undo the bad things that have made it worse. Govt never admits to error, eh?
Sigh.
The only mention of immigration:
Plunging immigration figures leave employers desperate for skills
How awful must British education be when Congolese hunter-gatherers and Iraqi goatherders are better qualified than British teenagers….
Most of these have come through Goveist reformed schooling – with higher standards. Wait until Phillipson’s “inclusive” reforms kick in! They will be losing to inanimate objects!
A slightly different view:
Twenty-seven young migrants are hired for every British youngster as youth worklessness ‘fuelled’ by soaring non-EU immigration, analysis reveals
https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15853061/Twenty-seven-young-migrants-hired-British-youngster.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=social-twitter_mailonline
It does help that the duty manager or shop owner of many of those “entry level” jobs are of a certain non-caucasian hue and very much don’t discriminate at all when hiring people.
Oh no Offendi!! …not at all!! Impossible!!
Hang on, didn’t Blair promise “education, education, education”?
“In 1996, approximately 1.5 million students were enrolled in higher education institutions in the UK.
In 2024, approximately 2.8 million students were enrolled in higher education institutions in the UK”.
We’ll we’ve had education, education, education but it doesn’t appear to be worth much when you’ve a bottomless pit of uneducated workers piling in from abroad does it.
I’ve been a NEET for years. ( Actually I was in Education for a year )
But that’s down to ill health, having the money to do it and bone idleness.
“Bullshit,” Milburn says bluntly.
How many businesses has Alan Milburn created,such that he feels so confident in his assessment?
He co-owned a radical bookshop called Days of Hope selling ‘left-wing literature, books, magazines, papers, and badges’.
He then tried and failed to finish a PhD before going into trade union ‘organising’ and then (absurdly) working as a Business Development Officer for North Tyneside Council.
Then he became and MP and now he does ‘consultancy’.
The idea seems to be that businesses have some kind of social obligation to hire young British people (though not in some kind of horrible racist way that discriminates against the non-British people who would like to live and work here, or while discriminating against older people*) regardless of their suitability or enthusiasm for the job, and despite any obstacles the government chooses to put in the way.
If the government feels employers really do have such an obligation to hire young Brits, then as the country’s biggest employer it could make a start by importing less foreigners to staff the NHS. But they won’t seriously try that, will they? Not the skills here apparently, despite (or because of!) the government also being in charge of the training of said skills.
* Being an unemployed 50-something is probably worse than being an unemployed 20-something. You’ve got more obligations, quite likely a mortgage, less able to fall back on the Bank (and Lettings Agency and Taxi Service and Free Restaurant…) of Mum + Dad, your education is “out of date”, and the payback time for you or a potential employer of sending you for retraining is less likely to be worth it.
Exactly. All the way through these reports I think: young people? Bolleaux, what about me? I’ve got a mortgage to pay, you’re living with your parents. You’ve applied for over a hundred jobs? Hah! I’ve applied for 3500 jobs over the last 15 years. EMPLOYERS DO NOT WANT PEOPLE. Get that into your mind. YOU ARE AN UNWANTED COST.
And the ones that really grind my gears “spent years trying to get a job he wants” You can afford to restrict yourself to jobs you WANT????? How the fuck have you not starved to death by now? I have NEVER been able to restrict myself to just doing jobs I WANT to do.
“spent years trying to get a job he wants” – I always fancied being a virgin deflowerer, that was the job I always wanted. The state to provide the virgins (and the salary).
The idea seems to be that businesses have some kind of social obligation
I know many people who think like that. I think Adam Smith had something to say about that, involving butchers and bakers. He was right.
it could make a start by importing less foreigners to staff the NHS. But they won’t seriously try that, will they? Not the skills here apparently, despite (or because of!) the government also being in charge of the training of said skills.
It trained up my daughter just fine at med school. She’s now a first year doctor. Problem is, at the end of the 2nd year she should look for a speciality training position. There are 30,000 FY2s competing for 10,000 training places, because the NHS has been favouring overseas applicants. Furthermore, she’s found that most of her seniors, who are supposed to train her, are fucking useless, macho misogynist cunts, or both.
Which is why she’ll be off to Oz like a shot. Aussies: your gain. She’s good.
Alan Milburn has published the first part of his forensic report on the lives and chances of young people, their fate after leaving school or college, the inadequacy of their health, education and pastoral care, and the reluctance of employers to hire them. This is a “moral crisis”, he says.
A weary nation rejoices. Street parties are hastily arranged under the LGBTQ-BLM bunting. Primary school children memorise the executive summary whilst jubilant Brits throng the cobblestoned lanes to welcome their hero as he rides his donkey into London. “Finally! A Milburn! A Milburn!” they cry.
Isn’t he the one who once had a proper job? Or the one-eyed batsman?
Dunno, it’s like a “Who’s That?” of insipid knobs you only dimly remember from the late 90’s. Did somebody feed Tony Blair after midnight again?
I think you’re thinking of the one who use to be a postman. Was he another Alan? Alan Johnson maybe?
Edit – the one-eyed bat was Colin Milburn. Possibly related, both from similar neck of the woods.
forensic report?
I bet a shiny fiver it ain’t.