In the run up to our youth employment conference on February 22nd, as the UK marks National Apprenticeship Week and Race Equality Week, we take a moment to look back at reflections from ARE Youth Action Network member, Axce Sellutharai on the impact that locally organised employment initiatives have on bridging the barriers young Black, Asian and Mixed heritage people face around employment.
Last year, I was lucky to attend the Young Brent Foundation’s ‘Turning Mayhem to Magic’ conference, representing ARE’s recently rebranded Youth Action Network.
The event was a fascinating insight into the research and action that has gone into supporting young people across the London Borough of Brent to move towards employment and in starting their careers.
Having lived in Brent my whole life, it was valuable to me to see all those working behind the commitments to support young people in the borough, and the tangible differences that research and funding have made in creating welcoming workplace environments for the ever-diversifying community.
Led by young people called Brent’s Peer Researchers, the event was engaging and incredibly refreshing to hear young people raising their voices, rather than allowing older generations to lead the conversations for them: something I find is being rectified as young people become more socially and politically aware.
I was particularly moved by Peer Researcher Ayan’s spoken word piece which opened the event, and encapsulated the thoughts and emotions shared by so many young people regarding distrust in the routes into progression and employment.
“Youth voice is youth power!”
Ayan, Peer Researcher
Despite living in Brent, I was completely unaware about the startlingly low employment rates for young people (16-24) compared to the rest of England – almost 10% lower. On top of that, Brent’s youth employment rates seem to have been disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 Pandemic, dropping to 20% compared to the rest of England at around 50%. Seeing statistics like these are particularly poignant in turning the attention of policy makers and those in power towards the marginalised youth, and encourages those affected by the statistics to think about their injustices and get involved in trying to make a difference. Gaining an insight into the work that is being put into Brent in order to reform a system which has been failing to serve the youth for years and years has shown me that steps are being taken and all hope is not lost!
It is evident that a lot of research has been going into the reasons why young people from Brent, and other under-privileged backgrounds are not benefitting from the employment system, although it is also clear that efforts are being made to bridge these gaps too. Barry Fletcher, CEO of Youth Futures Foundation (YFF) shared two pillars from which YFF is honing in support for young people’s futures; focus on vocational apprenticeship and education schemes and transitional support from school into work.
James Moon from the Careers Enterprise Company also spoke about the need for integrating careers education into curriculum from a young age, which stood out to me given both my own experience and the experience of my peers feeling rushed into committing to careers we hardly know about. The school to career gap is particularly daunting given the fragmented systems people from similar backgrounds to me must also overcome.
“Brent is well and truly open for business!”
Kim Wright, CEO of Brent Council
It appears that Brent has centred incentives to create opportunities for young people at its heart, as the Council has created supportive internships and apprenticeships. Branching further out, its ambitions are clear: previous jobs fair in Wembley attracted 75,000 attendants, the Forge Scheme, promoting and distributing careers in housing, regeneration and development across Park Royal, worked with 200 businesses, supporting 160 local people.
Hearing about all the positive change going into my local area has truly restored my faith in Brent council and its commitment to continue to ensure that Brent remains supportive of small business and the everyday people they connect to, a feeling I find is faltering among other areas which are rapidly falling victims to gentrification.
I feel that as long as communities use their strengths, like Brent’s culturally rich heritage and diverse demographic, hope for young people from diverse backgrounds will flourish as we revel in environments which highlight growth rather than deprivation, and draw interest into a range of careers and the workplace from a young age.
As a South Asian young woman, I also feel that culturally, the stigma surrounding unconventional careers will begin to shift, allowing for a new generation of technologically stimulating careers to gain traction and we can finally steer away from the traditional ‘dead-end’ jobs we feel accustomed to.
I am immensely grateful that the Brent Council is taking such an active stance in improving employment prospects for young people and hope that many other areas follow. Making strides towards a fairer future starts locally, but can we fix a broken system? Do we need to dismantle before we build back up? Brent is living proof that reform is not impossible and investing into young people is investing in the future.
About the author: Axce Sellathurai
Axce is 17 years old and studying English Literature, Politics and Theology. She aspires to become a barrister specialising in Human Rights advocacy. Having taken part in many legal placements, including at the Government Legal Department, she looks forward to taking an active stance in the pursuit of justice both now, and in the future. She is incredibly passionate about the investment in young people for the future, ensuring they have equal access to opportunities and experiences that will be valuable in their future careers.
