Andy Burnham has called on businesses to offer work experience opportunities for young people as he announced a plan for 10,000 placements.
Visit to Sainsbury's
The prime minister made the announcement during a visit to Sainsbury's this morning, according to PA.
Burnham described the move as "a really positive development today."
National drive to tackle youth unemployment
He said: "One of the biggest British brands out there, Sainsbury's, coming forward and saying 10,000 placements for young people, work placements, apprenticeships. This is exactly what we need. We need a national drive to challenge youth unemployment and give more opportunities for our young people, and I would ask other businesses to do the same."
He acknowledged the scale of the challenge, saying "too many young people are out of work," but insisted "it can be fixed."
Education reform alongside employer action
Burnham said he is also working to fix the education system, giving young people technical paths alongside the academic route, but stressed that employers need to step forward and offer work placements too.
