A 23-year-old influencer has defended young people and backed Alan Milburn's plans to tackle the NEET crisis, while arguing that guaranteeing jobs goes too far.
With almost one million 18-24-year-olds not in education, employment or training, the government is under pressure to offer more support to young people. Alan Milburn is expected on Tuesday to present suggestions to Andy Burnham's Cabinet and demand his government offers an "opportunity guarantee" for that demographic.
Influencer's reaction
Ryan Benjelloun, part of that demographic, has made money and fame through content creation and becoming a social media influencer. Reacting to Mr Milburn's likely plans, the 23-year-old, who was raised in Battersea, south London, told the Mirror: "I think it's a good idea as I support getting young people into work. But guaranteeing a job is too far, in my opinion, and actually I think it should be on merit."
Mr Milburn, a former Labour health secretary, is also expected to recommend moving under-25s off the main sickness and disability benefits. They would instead get a new youth allowance paid at the standard rate of universal credit.
Generation gap
But Mr Benjelloun, who works primarily on the TikTok platform, says his generation has to work much harder than baby boomers did to achieve the same financial security. He believes young people face higher living costs and steep house prices.
Working for himself, Mr Benjelloun says, means he cannot rely on the job security or workplace pension that a long-term employer could offer. He believes baby boomers, born from the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s, had an easier time getting established.
What's next
Mr Milburn's recommendations, though, are likely to be backed by Mr Burnham. There is already a guarantee in place for youngsters for apprenticeships or training places, but only after they have been unemployed for a significant period of 18 months.
Mr Benjelloun, who now lives in Los Angeles, having moved to the US to study at the University of California, Berkeley, added: "While they certainly had their own challenges, I feel that our generation has to work considerably harder to achieve similar levels of financial security and success. There is also an added pressure to constantly be productive, build multiple income streams and find ways to stand out, which can make it difficult to switch off."
Harvard researchers found that US home prices had risen sharply relative to household incomes since the early 1990s. In England and Wales, official figures show homes remain less affordable relative to earnings than they were in the late 1990s, despite some improvement since 2021. Mr Milburn will deliver his findings on Tuesday.
