Jamal Edwards: Firms must step up to plate and take a chance on the young

 
“Outdated perceptions”: Jamal Edwards with Prince Charles at a Prince’s Trust session in Chatham
David Churchill8 August 2014

Self-made millionaire Jamal Edwards today backed calls for firms to give more young people a chance as figures show that three-quarters of London businesses are facing a skills crisis.

Edwards, 23, who grew up on a council estate in Acton and is now worth more than £8 million after launching broadcasting company SBTV, said employers “need to step up to the plate” and forget “outdated perceptions of young people”.

Research by the Prince’s Trust reveals that 76 per cent of London businesses in construction, retail, health, manufacturing and science and engineering sectors believe a significant skills crisis will hit their organisations within the next three years.

Half predict the crisis will strike within 12 months, with 71 per cent fearing the deficit will slam the brakes on Britain’s economic recovery.

Edwards, who is friends with Sir Richard Branson, said: “There are 817,000 young people aged 16 to 24 unemployed and eager to work, and employers with jobs available. So why aren’t these young people being taken on?

“Young people are ready to work and businesses need to step up to the plate. It’s time to leave these outdated perceptions of young people behind.”

The joint report, with HSBC, shows that 70 per cent of the 616 businesses asked believe recruitment of young people is vital to avert a skills crisis. Almost half said they are already experiencing skills gaps and more than a third have been unable to fill vacancies in the past year.

Edwards added: “Without my first job [at Topman], I wouldn’t be where I am today. I started on minimum wage, learning vital skills that have taken me from the shop floor to the media stage. When you believe you’re on the scrap-heap before you’re old enough to vote, it’s difficult to recover.”

Dermot Finch, regional director of The Prince’s Trust in London, said: “It is deeply concerning that employers in London are struggling to fill vacancies when we have thousands of unemployed young people who are desperate for work. We are urging businesses to take action now to up-skill the workforce of the future.”

‘Prince's Trust course changed my life’

Enrolling on a Prince’s Trust course changed Nicola Staff’s life, helping her get a job as a commis chef at a five-star hotel.

The 24-year-old, from Eastcote, had struggled to find work for years as she dealt with cancer and mental health issues.

She was referred to the Prince’s Trust’s four-week hospitality course, delivered by Marriott, and went on to win a job at Park Lane’s Grosvenor House Hotel. She said: “Thanks to the outstanding support I was given by Marriott and The Prince’s Trust I found myself wanting to try again. For the first time I felt safe and accepted by my workplace. I’ve gone from having no job and little prospects to working for an international company in a prestigious hotel within a great team … it changed my life.”

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