City faces 'complex' challenge of youth unemployment

Charlotte Horobin from Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce said there was a "big challenge" for Peterborough's young people

A young man who is facing homelessness after a two-year search for work says it is "literally impossible" to find a job in his home city.

Twenty-year-old Lennie lives in Peterborough, which has one of the highest rates of young people not in employment, education or training, according to the local chambers of commerce.

Business leaders in the city are working with colleges to try to help jobseekers, while Chancellor Rachel Reeves has described the issue as a national priority.

Charlotte Horobin, the chief executive of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, said that without action "we risk scarring our communities".

Lennie told the BBC: "Anything I can get, I'd take it.

"Labouring, bar work, retailing - I don't care. I've got no money coming in, so I'm pretty much homeless now which is making it harder."

Lennie says it has been "literally impossible to find a job" despite more than two years of trying

Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce said 5.4% of Peterborough's 16 to 17-year-olds were not in employment, education or training, compared to 3.4% in Cambridgeshire, which is the same as national average figures, according to the office for National Statistics (ONS).

There has been a 57% increase in the number of 16 and 17-year-olds outside employment, education or training in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire since the Covid-19 pandemic, partly driven by a lower participation in apprenticeships.

The figures reveal the highest rate since data was first gathered in 2016.

Earn while you learn: An apprentices getting real-world experience while training

As a result, the chambers have been working with education providers in the city to try to ease the number of young people not in education or work, which Ms Horobin described as a "complex" issue.

She said: "90% of businesses we talk to cite labour costs as a predominant price pressure, but three-quarters are equally struggling to find the right people," she said.

"Ultimately our employers need to make sure we have got the right people with the right qualifications and skills that are needed for business or otherwise we risk scarring our economy and our communities for decades to come."

Julia Bates from the Inspire Education Group in Peterborough says young people often "cannot see themselves" in jobs that are available

One of the organisations it is working with is Inspire Education Group in Peterborough, which runs education centres in the city, such as the Centre for Green Technology.

Its chief curriculum officer, Julia Bates, said the group tries to help young people find a "clear pathway" to jobs.

"We are very fortunate to work with lots of employers who come in regularly to talk about their challenges with jobs in the future and help us to design courses that are bespoke and specially for them," she said.

Peterborough's MP Andrew Pakes said the number of young people in the city not in employment, education or training was "not a new issue"

Andrew Pakes, the Labour MP for Peterborough, said youth unemployment in the city was "one of the great shames of this generation".

"I've been an MP for nearly a year and this has been my priority every single day," he said.

"The government's putting £10m into Peterborough over the next two years to help turn this around - but we've all got to do a lot more."

Victor from Peterborough was encouraged to take up an apprenticeship by his father

Victor goes to college one day a week - and works on the job for four days as part of his electrical apprenticeship.

The 18-year-old from Peterborough said he would like to train in industrial settings and eventually start his own business.

He believes some people might get overwhelmed with too many options when they leave school.

"I think you should always give something a try and see if you like it, and then see what happens," he added.