When the next generation speaks, industry should listen
After a year of research, conversations and challenging assumptions, our Youth Board recently presented the findings of their attraction, recruitment and retention project to employers from across the Tees Valley.
The meeting, held at the Port of Middlesbrough, was an opportunity to test their conclusions before taking the conversation to Parliament.
Importantly, it wasn’t a room full of young people telling employers what they’re doing wrong.
Nor was it employers explaining why recruitment is so difficult.
It was exactly what we’d hoped for, an honest conversation between people who all want the same thing but don’t always see the challenge from the same perspective.
One comment from the day has stuck with me.
“Finding employment feels like a battle to be won, rather than something that goes without saying.”
It prompted a pause around the table.
With around one million young people currently not in education, employment or training, it’s easy to assume they simply don’t want to work. That certainly wasn’t the picture painted during the discussion.
What came through was frustration.
Frustration at being asked for experience before being given the chance to gain it.
Frustration when applications disappear into a black hole.
Frustration that opportunities can still feel easier to access if you know the right people.
None of those points were raised to criticise employers.
They were shared because they’re real experiences, and because everyone in the room wanted to understand how things could work better.
That honesty was matched by industry.
Employers spoke openly about the challenges they face too. Recruiting the right people isn’t easy. Neither is creating opportunities when businesses are under pressure. There wasn’t always agreement, but there was respect, and that’s what made the conversation so valuable.
One thing everyone did agree on was that we need to keep talking.
The Youth Board members have carried out this project in their own time, fitting interviews, research and meetings around college, university, work and everything else life throws at them. They should be incredibly proud of what they’ve achieved.
Their next stop is Parliament, where they’ll present their findings to policymakers and continue the conversation on a national stage.
After that, the cluster will publish a practical framework for partners, bringing together everything they’ve learned over the past year into a resource designed to help organisations attract, recruit and retain the next generation.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us at the roundtable and contributed so openly. Listening isn’t always easy, particularly when the feedback challenges our assumptions, but that’s how progress happens.
Sometimes the most important thing we can do is simply get the right people around the same table and let the conversation begin.