'There are green shoots of recovery for young people'

The manager of a training course for young people says there are reasons to be optimistic about employment possibilities despite a recent review that painted a gloomy picture.

Adrian Martin, deputy manager of the Edge Hotel School in Essex, a hospitality course, told BBC Politics East there were "definitely green shoots across our industry".

Another trainer, Ross Brady, who is head of plumbing at the Colchester Institute, said places for young people in plumbing were "like gold dust".

A report by former cabinet minister Alan Milburn last month found that job and career opportunities for young people were "not growing, they're shrinking", with one in six set to be out of work, education or training in five years.

Across the East of England, 11% of 18 to 24-year-olds are classed as being not in employment, education or training (Neet) – a rise from 9% a decade ago.

Edge Hotel School is a partnership between Wivenhoe House Hotel, an English country house hotel, and the University of Essex.

Martin, the deputy manager, said the hospitality sector was "fragile... with restaurants closing, as we know, at the moment".

But he added: "There are definitely green shoots across our industry now and very successful businesses opening up, and the good thing about it is there are just so many jobs out there at supervisory and manager level."

Scarlett McGloin, 20, a student at the Edge Hotel School, said she was learning so much through hands-on training.

"I think the industry has so much to give and there's always a job in the hospitality industry for anyone," she said.

"That's my end goal, to get a great career.

"There might be a stigma around that young people are not being motivated but for me, personally, I feel I want to break through that barrier."

Poppy Chambers, 20, another student at the hotel school, said: "Obviously I see it around me – people being unemployed [who are about] my age, and that is not something I want for myself.

"It does make me want to push hard to show people I can be successful in my career, and it does not interest me to not work."

The Colchester Institute runs a number of apprenticeship courses. Plumbing and electrical installation are the courses that have the most applications.

Brady, head of plumbing at the institute, said a career in plumbing was "like gold dust", with a national shortage of plumbers. He said plans to increase the number of homes would only make the problem worse unless more people went into the profession.

"I don't think it's any shock to say that the current workforce [in plumbing] is an ageing workforce and the sector is crying out for young people to get into the industry," he said.

Apprentice Peter Bredin, 21, spends one day a week at the Colchester Institute and the rest of his time getting hands-on experience with a plumbing firm which is working on a new-build development in Cambridgeshire.

"I am the first one in my family to do a trade," he said.

"You can do this all year round. The weather doesn't affect you and there'll always be work

"AI is coming for a lot of jobs but I feel this is a job AI can't take away."

His friend Finlay Painter, 18, said: "I thought there would always be work in plumbing. It was the longevity of it – a career I could have without having to find a different path.

"I know it can be quite challenging to get an apprenticeship.

"I think employers think they'll be out of pocket because of it or they'll train someone up and they'll just leave. But at the Colchester Institute they teach you the qualities to be a good employee."

And if he isn't kept busy on building sites, Finlay won't have idle hands.

"I think my mum is already lining up a new bathroom," he joked.

Some employers offer Industrial placements to help young people gain experience and confidence in the workplace.

Maddie Green and Mia Annarumma, who are both 21, have taken a year out from university for placements with rail company Greater Anglia. Maddie is working in the HR department and Mia is in the press office.

It is paid work and they are part of the team rather than just watching other people.

Of the the crisis in youth unemployment, Maddie said: "It's not something you can fix overnight, but I do think there needs to be accountability of large organisations for what they are doing to support young people. Young people can add value to an organisation.

"I understand that for some businesses offering an industrial placement is a big financial burden, but I do think the business will reap the reward."

Mia added: "I have that new-found experience in communication that would have been hard to find without a placement.

"There are skills I didn't know I'd be developing... such as knowing how to navigate the corporate world and talking to people in a professional manner."

Greater Anglia also runs a scheme called First Step Into Rail, a free, three-week programme for 18 to 25-year-olds which combines hands-on station shadowing with classroom learning.

Jonathan Denby, head of corporate affairs at the company, said: "I know from my own experience – I did an industrial placement with the railway – that these placements are invaluable experience.

"The students are not just watching and training, they are actually part of the team."

There is growing concern about the growing number of people classed as Neet.

But there are also companies and institutions trying to reverse the trend.

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BBC Politics East will be broadcast on Sunday 7 June at 10:00 GMT on BBC One in the East of England, and will be available after broadcast on BBC iPlayer.

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