On Thursday 13 June the Labour Party released their manifesto for this upcoming General Election. While there wasn’t too much that wasn’t already trailed, it has 49 references to youth or young people. The main policies for young people are:
£95 million for Youth Futures Hubs in every community combining youth work, mental health support, and careers advice: “Labour will intervene earlier to stop young people being drawn into crime, creating a new Young Futures programme with a network of hubs reaching every community. These hubs will have youth workers, mental health support workers, and careers advisers on hand to support young people’s mental health and avoid them being drawn into crime.”
£410 million to recruit 8,500 new staff to support bring down mental health waiting lists: “Labour will bring waiting times down and intervene earlier. We will recruit an additional 8,500 new staff to treat children and adults through our first term.”
£175 million for a specialist mental health professional in every school: “The struggle to access support is paralysing children and young people through their formative years. Labour will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate.” £20 million for youth workers in A&E and mentors in Pupil Referral Units: “And to offer young people a pathway out of violence, we will place youth workers and mentors in A&E units and Pupil Referral Units, funded by full recovery of the cost of firearm licensing.”
£315 million to introduce free breakfast clubs in every primary school. “We will take initial steps to confront poverty by introducing free breakfast clubs in every primary school.”
£45 million to reform Ofsted, bringing Multi-Academy Trusts into the inspection system. “We will enhance the inspection regime by replacing a single headline grade with a new report card system telling parents clearly how schools are performing. We will also bring Multi-Academy Trusts into the inspection system and introduce a new annual review of safeguarding, attendance, and off-rolling.”
£450 million to recruit 6,500 more teachers, with £270 million to increase training for existing teachers and headteachers. “Labour will recruit an additional 6,500 new expert teachers. We will get more teachers into shortage subjects… We will introduce a new Teacher Training Entitlement to ensure teachers stay up to date on best practice with continuing professional development.”
£85 million to provide work experience and careers advice and guidance. “We will also guarantee two weeks’ worth of work experience for every young person, and improve careers advice in schools and colleges.”
Youth guarantee to all 18-21 year olds of access to training, employment support, or an apprenticeship. “Drawing together existing funding and entitlements, Labour will establish a youth guarantee of access to training, an apprenticeship, or support to find work for all 18- to 21- year-olds, to bring down the number of young people who are not learning or earning.”
Young people caught with knife will be referred to a Youth Offending Team for rapid intervention. “Labour will end the practice of empty warnings by ensuring knife carrying triggers rapid intervention and tough consequences. Every young person caught in possession of a knife will be referred to a Youth Offending Team and will receive a mandatory plan to prevent reoffending, with penalties including curfews, tagging, and custody for the most serious cases.”
Targeting criminal exploitation of young people in schools by gangs. “Labour will also introduce a new offence of criminal exploitation of children, to go after the gangs who are luring young people into violence and crime.”
Healthy relationships and consent to be taught in schools. “Violence and abuse against women and girls does not come from nowhere. Misogyny is one root cause, and therefore Labour will ensure schools address misogyny and teach young people about healthy relationships and consent. We will ensure police forces have the powers they need to track and tackle the problem.”
New legal safeguards around strip-searching children and young people by police. “Particular care is required when investigating children. Labour will introduce new legal safeguards around strip-searching children and young people.”
Support for children of imprisoned parents. “Labour will act to reduce reoffending. We will work with prisons to improve offenders’ access to purposeful activity, such as learning, and ensure they create pre-release plans for those leaving custody. We will support prisons to link up with local employers and the voluntary sector to get ex-offenders into work. The children of those who are imprisoned are at far greater risk of being drawn into crime than their peers. We will ensure that those young people are identified and offered support to break the cycle.”
Strategy for post-16 education. “Young people have been left without the opportunities they need. The result is an economy without the necessary skills, nor any plan for the skills needs of the future. Labour will address this by bringing forward a comprehensive strategy for post-16 education.”
Further Education colleges into specialist Technical Excellence Colleges. “Labour will transform Further Education colleges into specialist Technical Excellence Colleges. These colleges will work with businesses, trade unions, and local government to provide young people with better job opportunities and the highly trained workforce that local economies need.”
Reform the Apprenticeships Levy to a flexible Growth and Skills levy. “Labour will also reform the Conservatives’ broken Apprenticeships Levy. The current rigid rules ignore vital skills and training needed to access apprenticeships. Labour will create a flexible Growth and Skills Levy, with Skills England consulting on eligible courses to ensure qualifications offer value for money.”
Support creative and vocational subjects to 16, and expanding access to sport. “Labour will support children to study a creative or vocational subject until they are 16, and ensure accountability measures reflect this. We will get more children active by protecting time for physical education, and supporting the role grassroots clubs play in expanding access to sport.”
Launching a National Music Education network to improve access to learning. “We will also launch a new National Music Education Network – a one-stop shop with information on courses and classes for parents, teachers and children. Access to music, drama and sport has become difficult and expensive because of ticket touting.”
Implement recommendations of the Cass review. “We will work to implement the expert recommendations of the Cass Review to ensure that young people presenting to the NHS with gender dysphoria are receiving appropriate and high-quality care.”
16- and 17-year-olds to be given the vote. “We will increase the engagement of young people in our vibrant democracy, by giving 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all elections.”
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