BRC responds to latest figures on NEETs

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said:

Today's figures are a stark reminder of the scale of the challenge facing young people, with almost one million 16 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training. Retail has long played an important role in providing accessible, local and flexible jobs that provide a first step into employment.

But retailers' ability to offer these jobs is being eroded by new employment reforms. The current Guaranteed Hours proposals will create cost and complexity for responsible businesses instead of targeting the unscrupulous, and risk making flexible, entry-level jobs harder to create. If Government is serious about tackling the NEET crisis, it must not hinder flexible opportunities for the young. Retail stands ready to work with Government to support more young people into work, but this requires employment reforms that don't confuse flexibility with insecurity.