The Public Accounts Committee published a report this week that stated 148,000 16 to 18-year-olds in England are not in education, employment or training.
However, Knowles, who heads up the pub and bar careers group, said many young people “get no assistance whatsoever at school”, at a time when information on career options and guidance should be mandatory.
'Mixed bag'
“They leave school and end up in the hands of a mixed bag of Job Centre Plus representatives who quite often actively encourage young people to sign-on before any careers advice or assistance is given,” he said.
“This cannot be the right process to adopt. It is clear that education and industry need to find a way to forge a more seamless approach between education and the world of work.”
He added: “With 46% of people working in the industry under 25 years old we also need to dispel the myth that there is no place for 16-year-olds within our industry. One of our major skills shortage is skilled chefs and cooks - with apprenticeships on offer in this area it is an ideal career start point for many young people and with the continued growth of eating out the chef shortage problem will continue to exacerbate.”
'Dynamic and rewarding careers'
Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers chief executive Kate Nicholls urged training providers and local authorities to work more closely with the trade.
She said: “One of the things our sector prides itself on is our ability to offer dynamic and rewarding career starts for youngsters who are leaving school or college. The ALMR’s employment survey shows that around a quarter of our workforce is under 20, with pub and bar work often a first job for many young people, offering transferable skills and rewarding career paths to the highest levels.
“Pubs invest, on average, £1,000 per person, per year in training and apprenticeship stars in licensed hospitality are growing exponentially.”