Andy Burnham has stated that 'we are not doing enough to prepare young people for modern life' as he continues his campaign in the Makerfield by-election. The Greater Manchester Mayor, standing as Labour's candidate, met with youth service leaders across the constituency on Saturday.
Roundtable Discussion on Youth Services
Mr Burnham visited Highfield Community Hall for a roundtable discussion on bringing a new youth zone to Ashton, joined by teachers, youth workers, and teenagers. Issues raised included a lack of youth services, outreach programmes, and funding. Attendees described 'deserts' of youth facilities, leaving young people with few options other than hanging out at McDonald's or staying indoors.
Mr Burnham organized the discussion to improve the situation in Makerfield if elected MP, emphasizing that 'young people should be our priority for investment' and that tangible outcomes must result from the by-election.
Call for Investment in Young People
He said: 'I look around the Makerfield constituency and I see the national figures around young people not in education, employment or trading and I don't blame them. We are not doing enough to prepare young people for modern life.' He highlighted the loss of facilities over the years and called for a shift in thinking to invest in the younger generation for a stronger society.
'I'm on a mission here to focus on the provision beyond school. It's about this by-election creating a real dividend for the people who live here, but particularly the young people,' he added.
Challenges Faced by Young People
Roundtable members discussed how some areas of Wigan are 'just nail bars and vape shops', leaving young people with nothing to do. Staff from Wigan Youth Zone noted they must raise around £2 million annually to stay open. Mr Burnham said he would like to form a Makerfield Youth Board if given the opportunity, noting that a lack of services outside school is 'leaving some young people without a path'.
This follows a warning from former health secretary Alan Milburn about a 'whole system failure' leading nearly one in seven 16- to 24-year-olds to become NEETs (not in employment, education, or training). Mr Burnham linked the discussion to this challenge, stating: 'Life has got more challenging for young people. It's harder to grow up these days than it was for us. But the services are weaker.'
Proposed Solutions
Mr Burnham announced a commitment to argue for a guarantee of a 45-day work placement for every young person who wants one if returned to Parliament. He called for changes to the education system to offer academic and technical parity, rather than focusing solely on university. 'It makes no sense for the country to have a benefits bill for people in their 20s when they didn't do anything for them in their teenage years,' he said, urging investment in teenage years to put people on a path to a good life.
