Stop blaming young people for being unemployed, says Amazon's UK boss
Summary
Amazon’s UK boss, John Boumphrey, said that youth unemployment is caused by problems in the education and job system, not because young people lack motivation. He called for mandatory work experience for those over 16 to better prepare them for work and help close skill gaps.Key Facts
- Nearly one million young people in the UK are not in education, employment, or training.
- Amazon UK employs 75,000 people, half of whom come directly from education or unemployment.
- The UK’s unemployment rate rose slightly to 5% in early 2024.
- Boumphrey says the education system does not prepare young people with the skills employers need.
- Amazon struggles to find workers with technical skills, especially for roles related to maintaining robots in warehouses.
- Boumphrey supports making work experience mandatory for people aged over 16 to teach teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.
- Amazon has 100 sites in the UK, including 30 warehouses, and accounts for 30% of UK online sales.
- Amazon UK contributed over £5.8 billion in tax and created 75,000 jobs in the country.
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