Employment Minister Esther McVey has described youth unemployment as her ‘top priority’ in an interview with The Daily Mail. McVey highlighted the lack of soft skills amongst young people. noting that many young people have unrealistic expectations about what jobs entail, and that it is only when they start work they “realise it can take years to become proficient”. She also echoed Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Rachel Reeves’ comments earlier this week that too many young people are leaving school without the right qualifications in English and Maths.
The headlines from the article have focused on McVey’s comments that young people should be prepared to take entry level jobs, such as working at Costa Coffee, so that “in a couple of years’ time you might say ‘I’d like to manage the area’ or might even want to run a hotel in Dubai”.
