Go further to get young people working

That said, we believe that if ministers are serious about a high-skilled economy and getting young people into work, they should go further and be even more ambitious.

Every young person deserves the opportunity to find the right career, but too many are forced to forget their ambitions from the minute they walk into their local Jobcentre. The pressure to accept the first job available or face sanctions means young people’s needs are ignored. This is particularly true for young people with experience of homelessness.

“A lack of understanding of the nuances of homelessness and what extra support young people might need when looking for a job are potentially preventing a significant proportion from finding and staying in meaningful work”

A lack of understanding of the nuances of homelessness and what extra support young people might need when looking for a job are potentially preventing a significant proportion from finding and staying in meaningful work. While there are some specialised work coaches, such as those specifically trained to work with young people, care leavers and people with experience of homelessness, this is not consistent across all Jobcentres.

Some young people with experience of homelessness may not have had positive role models to guide them or talk about how important education, training and work are for their futures. This is why it is so crucial that job coaches are given the time to listen and understand what training or skills they have, or do not have, and lay out achievable action plans that align with their ambitions.

This kind of knowledge and understanding could be shared, though, if the government and Jobcentres tap into the expertise of local organisations and charities that work with young people day in, day out.

This is a cruel quirk: a young person’s Housing Benefit is reduced faster than their wages increase, unlike private renters, who benefit from a fairer taper rate. This traps vulnerable young people at a pivotal point in their lives and careers. Many are forced to turn down extra hours, development opportunities and higher pay, because working more simply does not pay.

These young people are ready to progress in their careers and move on from supported accommodation, but cannot, and so find themselves trapped in a vicious cycle.

“If we want young people to march gladly into the Jobcentre and find their vocation, then it is on us to meet them halfway”

Ministers must recognise that this is a serious barrier to young people finding meaningful and long-term work. Centrepoint’s own research has found that addressing this issue could move thousands into employment and save the Treasury over £12m per year – though the actual savings could be much higher when you factor in the number of people over the age of 25 living in supported accommodation.

Nationally, we expect a lot of young people to be working, particularly those we feel should be, but are not. Our politicians and the media are nothing short of industrious when it comes to generating speeches and column inches worrying about joblessness and this new generation’s commitment to work. There is far less focus on the structural barriers and challenging context young people find themselves in.

If we want young people to march gladly into the Jobcentre and find their vocation, then it is on us to meet them halfway. That is not easy. Good job coaches, adaptations in the workplace and fairer benefits don’t come cheap, but it is the least they should expect of us.

Balbir Kaur Chatrik, director of policy and prevention, Centrepoint