Deeside-based Iceland signs retail letter urging action on youth unemployment
The boss of Deeside-based Iceland is among more than 80 retail chief executives warning the Prime Minister that government policy is making it more expensive to hire young people.
Tarsem Dhaliwal, group chief executive of Iceland Foods, which has its headquarters on Deeside Industrial Park, signed the letter sent to Sir Keir Starmer on Wednesday 10 June.
The letter was coordinated by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and also signed by the bosses of Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Greggs, McDonald’s, Morrisons and Marks and Spencer.
It calls on the government to set up a joint government and retail taskforce on youth employment, bring down the cost of employing young people, and make sure employment and skills reforms support entry-level recruitment rather than discourage it.
The letter says retail and its supply chain account for almost a quarter of all youth employment, at 23 per cent, and that the industry employs nearly three million people across the UK.
It says more than a million people under 25 are not in education, employment or training.
The BRC says 400,000 retail jobs have been lost over the past decade.
The trade body also pointed to Alan Milburn’s interim report into young people and work, which it said warned 1.25 million under-25s could become unemployed in the next five years.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the BRC, said: “The message from retail is clear: if government is serious about tackling youth unemployment, it cannot keep making it more expensive to create jobs.”
“Retail and its supply chain account for almost a quarter of all youth employment, making our industry uniquely placed to support young people through flexible, entry-level roles and clear routes for progression. But this first step on the ladder is cracking under the weight of government-imposed costs and regulations.”
“Youth unemployment is a challenge that government and business must tackle together. If government wants more young people in work, it must create the conditions that allow businesses to hire, train and develop the next generation.”
Ashwin Prasad, Tesco UK CEO, said: “Retail is one of the UK’s great engines of opportunity and is uniquely placed to help tackle the challenge of youth unemployment and rising numbers of young people not in education, employment or training.”
The signatories have asked to meet the Prime Minister and relevant secretaries of state, saying in the letter that together they can help “turn around the fortunes of young people everywhere”.
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