Former Marks & Spencer chief executive Marc Bolland has been appointed as a government jobs adviser in a bid to tackle the growing youth unemployment crisis in the UK. Bolland, who led the retail chain from 2010 to 2016, will chair a summit of business leaders amid warnings that the country risks a "lost generation" without urgent intervention.
Approximately one million people aged 16 to 24—about one in eight—are currently not in education, employment, or training. An interim report by former health secretary Alan Milburn, released Thursday, warned that this group, known as Neets, could swell to 1.25 million by the 2030s without radical action.
In response to Milburn's findings, Downing Street announced Saturday that Bolland would serve as lead non-executive director at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Bolland, who also previously headed supermarket chain Morrisons, was reportedly chosen for his existing ties to the DWP through his charity, Movement to Work. The government noted that collaboration with Movement to Work has already helped over 200,000 unemployed young people find jobs.
The government stated that Bolland would work with "leading chief executives across sectors" to "create clear routes into work and tackle the longstanding challenge of youth unemployment." He will also advise Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden on how to respond to Milburn's findings. McFadden said the appointment sends a "clear signal" that the government is "serious about tackling that challenge."
A central part of Bolland's role will involve collaborating with charities that support disabled young people to ensure they have access to training and employment opportunities. Bolland expressed he was "honoured and passionate" about working with the government, adding, "I know that working hand in hand with business to support young people gives them the best possible chance of success."
The proportion of Neets in the UK is significantly higher than in many other developed nations. In the Netherlands, only about 5% of 16 to 24-year-olds are not in education or work, compared to roughly 12.5% in Britain. Milburn's report found that six in ten young people have never held a job, up from four in ten in 2005. The economic cost of the crisis is estimated at around £125 billion.
Milburn highlighted that an increasing number of young people are being deemed unfit to work due to health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and neurodevelopmental disorders. However, for every £25 the government spends on benefits for young people, only £1 is devoted to helping them find work. Nearly half of those who claim a health or disability benefit before age 24 remain unemployed or not in education a decade later.
