Alan Milburn, who recently published a “sobering” report into the youth unemployment crisis visited Lime Pictures to see how they are giving young people access to creative careers.
Milburn, the former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, was joined by Liverpool Metro Mayor, Steve Rotheram on the visit.
The pair were seeing how Lime was a “best practice” employer for training and skills and met some of the young people who’d secured jobs through work placements and training schemes, including Channel 4’s 4Skills and Accelerate.
It was hosted by Lime Pictures’ MD John Whittle and Hollyoaks’ Executive Producer Hannah Cheers and highlighted the Youth Guarantee Trailblazer and the ‘Foot in the Door’ scheme to give placements to NEETS (not in education, employment or training).
“As an employer within the creative sector we are acutely aware of our responsibility to give opportunity through training and outreach to find and support young people who might not have access to the industry, for varying reasons,” said Whittle.
“The visit was a chance to bring industry leaders together with young people at Lime who have moved through training schemes into jobs to share their experiences of how we can continue to grow within this area.”
Milburn published the first part of the Young People and Work report last month. It outlined a “record of failure” as increasing numbers of people aged 16-24 were classed as NEETS.
At the time he said:
“We are at risk of a lost generation. That is a moral crisis. It has economic consequences.”
The cumulative cost, according the report was estimated at £125bn.
Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer called it “sobering.”
During the visit, they met some of the young people working at Lime, including costume trainee Aslan Herzen:
“One of the core challenges today’s youth face is a sense of overwhelming worry for the future, fuelled by everything from sociopolitical to environmental concerns. Employment trends only exacerbate this anxiety,” said Herzen.
“Formal training opportunities genuinely help young people get “a foot on the ladder (or in the door). This is especially important in creative industries, where practical experience and networking are so crucial.
“Mentorship from older colleagues also provides young people with tailored advice in matters both personal and professional, which can be a huge boost to mental health and career progress for early-career individuals.”
The DWP also met with the Hollyoaks cast, who have used their platforms to advocate for more mental health support for young people; including Malique Thompson-Dwyer, Leo Cole and Ashley Taylor-Dawson.
“As a KidsOut ambassador, I’m passionate about helping give disadvantaged children opportunities they might not otherwise have,” said Thompson-Dwyer
“Seeing the support for young people here has been really inspiring and I’m proud to use my platform to raise awareness for such an important cause.”
