Youth support is vital to avoid skills crisis says new Prince’s Trust and GTR report

Recruitment of young people is vital to avert a skills crisis across the UK, according to new research from The Prince’s Trust and Govia Thameslink Railway released today.

The report shows that almost half (47%) of the 1,004 surveyed employers agree there is currently a skills shortage across the UK, and three quarters (73%) said the recruitment of young people is vital or they risk facing a skills crisis across their sectors.

The ‘Futures at Stake 2020’ report states that a ‘crisis is looming’ with 59% of employers saying they struggle to recruit people with the skills their organisations need.

GTR is already helping to tackle this skills gap in the transport industry with the Get into Railways programme, run in partnership with The Prince’s Trust; 77% of course participants have moved into permanent jobs at the company as a result.

Patrick Verwer, Chief Executive of Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) said: “We’re proud to have helped more than 180 young people struggling to find work through our partnership with The Prince’s Trust. The course gives them experience in business, builds their confidence, and inspires them to build a future for themselves. We have diversified our recruitment approach to give more young people better access to jobs and a career in rail.”

In September last year the organisations celebrated five years of partnership and the rail operator committed to deliver Get into Railways courses for the next two years (read former press release here)

The report also surveyed more than 500 teachers, 70% of which warned that young people are leaving school without the basic skills they need for life and work.

To read the full Futures at Stake 2020 report, go to: http://bit.ly/308yR2x

Dame Martina Milburn, Group Chief Executive of The Prince’s Trust said: “Young people are key to solving current skills shortages and avoiding a future skills crisis. However, some employers use recruitment processes that make it hard for them to fill vacancies, as well as making it hard for young people to get their first job. It is vital that employers start thinking about recruitment differently.”

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