The Club hosted an Open Meeting for members and guests where the topic of the day was youth unemployment.
Fay Easton presented the audience with facts and figures outlining the youth jobs crisis in the UK and warned that both the county and the country are storing up conditions for economic and social problems on a large scale. Nationally, the unemployment of young people is twice as high as any other age group and in Telford & Wrekin 15% of 18-24 year olds (2100 young people) are without work. Fay called for the local area and the nation to help boost the employability of young people by addressing the skills shortage so often referenced by employers. Her main plea was addressed to schools, colleges and universities to tackle the knowledge gap suffered by the great majority of young people who have vocational skills & talents and no concept of how to convert these to earning power via self-employment and entrepreneurship.
The audience was asked for business mentors and fund raisers to help in local efforts to support young people into self-employed, business & enterprise driven careers, which fit with the community service Rotary can provide. President Brian Richards said, ‘Fay’s talk was inspirational and challenging, and I hope the club can provide some of the help she has identified and our young people deserve.
The photograph shows Fay Easton & Rotary Club of Wellington President Brian Richards