Employers could miss out on talent, increasing the skills deficit, if young people are disadvantaged when applying for jobs, NHS Employers has claimed.
According to the organisation, young people can bring fresh perspective and new skills, helping to keep up to date with ever-changing communication methods.
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that the unemployment rate for people aged 16-24 has risen, with almost one million unemployed.
The figures also show that 115,000 18-24 year-olds have been unemployed for longer than two years.
NHS Employers said it is also important that workforces represent the demographic of the local community.
An NHS Employers statement said: “As NHS organisations are typically one of the largest employers within local communities, they have a duty to demonstrate commitment to corporate social responsibility, which can only be fully realised if employers support the employment of young people.”
Apprenticeships, work experience, sector based work academies and internships are all ways to bring young people into an organisation.
The statement said: “Creating more non-graduate routes into professional and managerial positions would offer opportunities to a broader spectrum of young people and help employers to feed their talent pipeline.”
NHS Employers has released an FAQ to offer practical advice on how you can engage with young people, addressing some of the common barriers found in the recruitment process that disadvantage young people.
For example, advertising across channels could encourage more young people to apply. Young people may favour organisation’s websites, social media and online job sites.
More information is available on the NHS Employers website.
