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Hot topic
In April the Office for National Statistics revealed
that knife crime hit its highest level since records
began in 2011, with 732 deaths recorded between
January and December 2018 in England and
Wales. Many have called for a boost in
youth-focused initiatives, alongside increased
government funding. But can employers also help
by creating more opportunities for young people?
And where should they start?
James Ashall,
chief executive,
Movement to Work
The correlation between
employment and crime
reduction is well proven,
so it’s critical that we give support
to young people that leads to meaningful
careers. It’s imperative employers
provide positive mentorship and
ambition to help reduce youth crime.
Employers in the Movement to
Work network offer employability
schemes to young people not in
education, employment or training.
They offer placements that deliver onthe
job training and employability
skills. When delivered in combination
with youth organisations these
help address poverty and crime by
providing real opportunities.
We’ve managed more than 80,000
placements to date, with more than 50%
of those completing them getting jobs or
going back into education.
When young people see a bright
future they become positive contributors
to society and, starkly, fewer lives will
be lost.
Stephen Case, head
of social and policy
studies and professor
of criminology,
Loughborough
University
There has been a torrent of media
coverage about violent crime among
children and young people in the UK.
But it seems to offer little consensus on
what’s causing this crisis, what the
The police must work alongside schools,
employers and social services to protect these
vulnerable young people. The Mayor has now
decided to pursue this strategy: the right
choice, but we need to see some results
The Home Office has come u nder f ire after
launching an anti-knife campaign focused on
fried chicken shops... “Instead of investing in a
public health approach to violent crime,
the Home Office has opted for yet another
crude, offensive and probably expensive
campaign,” Diane Abbott, the shadow home
impact of measures taken by the
government and police are, and what
should be done to curb the violence.
Academic research has found crime is
a symptom of the toxic environments
that adults create around children,
who then become both perpetrators
and victims.
It is created by politicians and by
the politics of austerity, which has
seen a £422.3 million reduction in
spending on services for young
people in the past six years. It is
no coincidence that the vast
majority of knife crime takes
place in neighbourhoods suffering
from huge social disadvantage
and under-investment.
The importance of employment
and skills can’t be overstated, but this
must be brought in alongside proper
funding in youth services and in
our communities.
Above all, young people must feel they
are listened to.
Natasha Adams,
chief people
officer, Tesco
We know that good work
is absolutely integral to
helping people and
communities. Research has repeatedly
shown that strong employment
opportunities in communities can play a
vital role in helping to reduce crime
rates, through helping to provide
structure, support and connections.
At Tesco we are committed to
ensuring young people are given the
opportunities, tools, support and
Evening Standard, 11 September
secretary, said
Independent, 14 August
confidence to succeed in their future
careers. We want them to experience a
diverse, exciting and rewarding
environment. So we offer the chance for
employees to gain a transferable
qualification while they work, no matter
what their background.
We’re extremely proud to be one of the
employers working on this. It is vital in
cultivating and nurturing young talent
who might otherwise feel excluded from
the workforce.
Sajda Mughal,
director, JAN Trust
Knife crime is an issue
that hits BAME
communities the hardest.
Turning a blind eye to
the suffering of ethnic minority
communities is unacceptable and the
inadequate response to violent crime so
far reflects a deep-rooted racism within
this country.
It is time to enact meaningful change
to prevent this violence – not only does
the government need to tackle this issue
head on, but it is also important to work
with and educate the marginalised
BAME families who are most likely
to be affected. Raising awareness about
knife and gun crime alongside gangrelated
crime and the signs of gang
membership within hard-to-reach
communities is imperative.
If employers can reach out to people
and offer their time, skills and training
they could play a key role in helping
them to thrive. HR
8 HR November 2019 hrmagazine.co.uk
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