As I sit down to write this, I’m looking at the front page
of the local paper, the Argus, which is leading with a story about yobs who disrespected the War
Memorial in Brighton. Instead of fighting for their country and getting the
discipline they so clearly need by enlisting in one of the armed forces, they
showed a basic lack of morality and decency.
My thoughts turned to national service, as they so often do
when I hear of such incidents. Then they took a detour via the business
community. Could the two work hand in hand? How about a scheme which meant each
young person who was out of work had to sign up to a local business to get a
year’s ‘national business service’?
Everyone wins: every young person learns something about the
business world, gets work experience and a chance to improve their skills sets
as well as their interpersonal proficiency; businesses volunteer themselves and
get not only an extra pair of hands for a year (at minimum living wage with
government assistance) but a potential new employee; the community wins by not
having so many bored, under-occupied young people on the streets; and
government wins by hitting some more of its targets.
At the end of the year,
the business has the opportunity to permanently employ the young person or the
individual can sign up to another business, with a limit of two years in the
scheme.
Small businesses could choose whether or not they have the
ability or capacity to take part, but certainly medium to large companies would
be encouraged to take part. It is, I think, an extension to the
apprentice/intern scenario.
We have to get a handle on the NEET generation/s by doing
something real, practical and positive, otherwise future generations will
believe this is all there is to life. All the many well-intentioned projects up
and down the country do their best but there needs to be a culture shift, as we
so often hear. Let’s just get on and do it.
First published the The Argus 22.10.13
