Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Latest NewsEconomics, government & businessLearning & developmentJob creation and lossesLabour market

Employment campaign for young people backed by top HR directors

by Helen Gilbert 4 Sep 2009
by Helen Gilbert 4 Sep 2009

Leading HR directors have thrown their weight behind the government’s Backing Young Britain campaign, urging employers to invest in 16 to 24-year-olds despite the tough economic climate.


This week prime minister Gordon Brown launched the scheme, aimed at creating 85,000 work opportunities for young people.


The number of 18 to 24-year-olds out of work now stands at 722,000.


So far, 150 employers have signed up to the scheme, including supermarket giant Morrisons, which has pledged to train all 40,000 of its 16 to 24-year-old retail employees to NVQ Level 2 by spring 2011.


There are also 5,000 new opportunities, including apprenticeships from firms such as Centrica and Royal Mail.


Carl Johnson, head of leadership and development at maintenance and building group Interserve, told Personnel Today it was important for employers to keep up momentum during the recession and not to shy away from creating opportunities for young people.


“The plan is to try to encourage businesses to focus their resources and create energy around bringing people into business,” he said. “This is one of the challenges that we face in a downturn.”


Jo Taylor, head of learning and talent at Channel 4, agreed. “Having relationships with the next generation of talent is critical to business growth and potential recruitment in the future,” she said.


Norman Pickavance, group HR director at Morrisons, said: “Young people are crucial as part of the broad spectrum of colleagues we employ – now is the time for all companies to pledge their support to Backing Young Britain.”


Business secretary Lord Mandelson described the package of support as a win-win situation.


“Work experience, offering internships to graduates and investing in skills and training are vital to equipping young people and businesses with the tools to come out of the downturn in a strong position,” he said.


But a Conservative spokesman questioned how many of the training opportunities would be offered to people out of work. “[The campaign] should not be used as a smokescreen to mask true figures,” he said.


Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The Department for Work and Pensions confirmed that ministers were drawing up a ‘back to work’ White Paper, which is expected to give more details on how unemployment is hitting the economy, and measures to tackle the problem.


But a spokeswoman could not provide details of when the paper would be published.

Helen Gilbert

previous post
BMW jobs boost with new Mini models
next post
Occupational Health Awards 2009: Mental Health and Stress Management

You may also like

Black workers face greatest risk from workplace surveillance

30 May 2025

Capita and PizzaExpress named for minimum wage underpayments

29 May 2025

Charlie Mayfield: HR needs more proactive approach to...

29 May 2025

Warning issued over loss of ‘frictionless’ business travel...

29 May 2025

Streeting appeals to resident doctors to vote against...

29 May 2025

Unfairly dismissed TUC workers awarded £100k

29 May 2025

Recruitment outlook improves, despite employment law fears

29 May 2025

Missing mug leads to failed race discrimination claim

29 May 2025

HMRC releases research on removing salary sacrifice tax...

28 May 2025

Call-handler sues Met Police over reinstatement of offensive...

28 May 2025

  • Preparing for a new era of workforce planning (webinar) WEBINAR | Employers now face...Read more
  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+