Thanet now has the highest rate of youth unemployment in the south-east with 9.9% of 18 to 24-year-olds on the isle out of work.
The data for February shows 910 young people claiming out of work benefits up from 9.8% (900 people) in January and 9.4% in December. The figure is up by a hefty 7.1% compared to February 2023 when it stood at 9.2% (850 claimants).
The Thanet rate is now higher than that for Hastings which previously had the highest figure in the south-east.
For Kent as a whole youth unemployment stands at 5.3%, just above the national rate of 5.2%.
The overall unemployment rate for the county is 3.5% compared to the national average of 3.8%. However, for Thanet it is much higher at 5.7% equating to 4,695 people, 2.8% higher than in January.
Wards with the highest percentage of people on out of work benefits are Margate Central (11.2%), Cliftonville West (11.1%) and Newington (8%).
Ventures aimed at tackling Thanet’s youth unemployment crisis include training café and kitchen The Perfect Place To Grow based at Tracey Emin’s TKE studio in Margate.
The business aims to give 18-24 year olds a path into employment and is headed up by Lee Coad, of seafood restaurants Angela’s and Dory’s, with Harry Ryder from Bottega Caruso and Thanet youth worker Anistasia James.
The Perfect Place To Grow works with between 12-16 young people with the hope being they will gain employment within 12 months. An induction period of eight weeks is followed by trainees receiving the Real Living Wage, currently £12ph for those aged 18 and over.
Another venture due to be created under the Ramsgate Levelling Up fund is the training kitchen at Newington Community Centre.
Architects Jan Kattein have been working with Newington Community Association on the plans to create the kitchen and space for people seeking job and training opportunities which will be headed up by community chef Mike Spackman. Mike already works with Newington Community Association to share food, cooking and health skills with residents, schools and college students.
The £576,250 project will build on programmes already running at the centre including a Wednesday affordable lunch scheme, food banks, an employability scheme and volunteering from former prisoners looking to take their lives in a new direction.
Levelling Up projects have a March 2026 deadline for completion although some could be ready before that date.
County Councillor Karen Constantine said: “Urgent action is needed. Why should Thanet’s children and young people suffer more than young people in South East?
“We all know how damaging youth unemployment is for young people. High levels of youth unemployment also have wider social costs. Youth joblessness often damages self-esteem, mental health and earning capacity for years to come.
“A recent report by the Princes Trust says the ‘prolonged youth jobs crisis is set to cost UK economy almost £7 billion next year.’ The report also highlights the long term scarring impacts – ‘in terms of lost earnings and damage to employment prospects, is forecast to be £14.4 billion over the next seven years.’
“As youth unemployment reaches almost 10% in Thanet urgent action to tackle our youth jobs crisis is needed. Both our MPs, Sir Roger Gale and Craig Mackinlay need to act. Kent County Council also bear primary responsibility for implementing a solution. If we are going to tackle this increasing youth jobs crisis, then energetic and forward thinking leadership is needed.
“We need to support young people in Thanet to access jobs, or to stay in education or engage in high quality training schemes.
“ I believe we need to extend the Government’s Kickstart scheme, which I have seen first-hand, that offers some positive opportunities and helps to build confidence and skills. But it doesn’t go far enough, we also need a ‘young person’s guarantee’ that –
- Proactively support young people in education who are at high risk of NEET – (not in education employment or training.)
- Extend and re-commits to Youth Hubs.
- Establishes a new joint ministerial brief between the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education.
- Pilots a new, targeted placement scheme for young people who are long-term NEET.
- Strengthens and broadens the range of Level 2 and Level 3 pathways available to young people.”
JobCentre Plus in Thanet says it is working to get people back into employment.
Nick Gurr, Thanet Recruitment Specialist, said: “We delivered our first “Meet the Employer event” at Margate Jobcentre with APS Salads (based in Ash) on March 5 which was well received and attended by our claimants.
“APS Salads gave a great overview of the roles on offer over the two sessions with an honest appraisal of the hardest bits of the job. Around 80% of those who attended the session have now signed up to visit the site to experience the greenhouses and complete their applications and these are taking place w/c 11 March.
“We are also supporting claimants who struggle with online applications by holding Group Information Sessions focused on making applications to a recruitment agency aimed at customers who are likely to be successful in the workplace but struggle with applying online.
“We continue to deliver monthly recruitment events with employer s to bring claimants face to face with employment opportunities locally. Our last Jobs fair was at Margate Caves on 21st February and was well attended with many people being offered second interviews or asked to apply online for the vacancy. This gave claimants an opportunity to ask the employers questions about their jobs and working practices which has helped many decide on career changes to other jobs that are available.
“Our next recruitment event takes place on 21st March between 10am to 12.30pm at the Salvation Army in Ramsgate. Employers identified so far include, Thorley Taverns, Miss Grean Clean, Morgan Jones, Global Recruitment and EK College who are promoting their next Get Into Hospitality course, further employers will added nearer the time.”
Any employers interested in attending this recruitment event or future events can contact Nick Gurr [email protected] or Lily Chiu [email protected]
Those who would like to attend the fair to find employment need to go through their work coach at the job centre.
