Government and Policy Responses

The Prince's Trust regularly responds to policy and papers. Our responses help politicians, policy makers, journalists and opinion formers to better understand the issues affecting the young people we support, and the focus and scope of our activities.May 2013

End Youth Homelessness Alliance formed

Leading charities and businesses join forces for first time to ‘End Youth Homelessness’.

The Prince’s Trust can offer vulnerable young people the skills and confidence to turn their lives around by getting a job, going to college, or setting up their own business. But a lot of the young people The Trust works with tell us that feeling they don’t have a safe and stable place to live makes it difficult to hold down a job, or do well at school. That’s why The Trust has joined forces with other leading charities such as Centrepoint, and major employers such as HSBC, to support the End Youth Homelessness campaign. www.eyh.org.uk

August 2012

Prince's Trust response to SSAC Universal Credit call for evidence

The Prince’s Trust know that young people want to work, and it is important that the welfare system enables them to move into work easily. Although there will be many positive aspects of the new system of Universal Credit, we have concerns over the regulations for the self-employed, which, if implemented in their current form, would create disincentives and obstacles for young people looking to start and grow a small business. Read the response

February 2010

Young people and the impact of recession - increased demand for Prince’s Trust services

  • Long term unemployment and dependence on the state is a growing issue for young people.
  • We need to invest in support and training for young people now, to prevent them becoming a lost a generation
  • Prince’s Trust programmes work, getting more than three in four young people into education, employment or training
  • Youth unemployment is now costing the state more than £3.5 million per day in Jobseeker's Allowance

Read the full article

December 2009

Inquiry into Young People Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET)

The Prince’s Trust response to The Children Schools and Families Select Committee.
Read the response 

October 2008

Youth Crime Action Plan

The Prince’s Trust welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Government’s plans to tackle youth crime, youth re-offending and youth victimisation. The Trust particularly welcomes the strong emphasis on prevention as the evidence-based approach of early intervention. As the report makes clear we need to understand the underlying reasons behind the negative behaviour of young offenders – ranging from multiple and complex family issues to negative peer effects – and ensure they are successfully addressed. Read the response

August 2008

Delivering Skills That Work for Wales

Reducing the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training in Wales.

Read the report.

March 2008

DIUS and DCSF World-class apprenticeships: Unlocking talent, Building Skills for All

The Trust recognises that all young people have talents and abilities and that some have a greater need for specific support in enabling them to obtain work or to obtain and sustain an apprenticeship. The views of young people who have been supported by The Prince’s Trust are included in this response. Many of the comments focus on the need for a tailored approach to support.

We support the logic behind ‘Unlocking Britain’s Talent’, however we recognise that some do not have the necessary ‘life skills’ or educational skills. We hope that the Government will provide suitable resources to enable young people to acquire these skills. It is hoped that Government will thus help young people to develop skills and a viable career, rather than going from one ‘dead-end job’ to another. View the written response

October 2007

Department for Work and Pensions: In work, better off: next steps to full employment

The Prince’s Trust welcomes the ambitious target of Government to raise the employment rate to 80 per cent and hopes that it can make a valid contribution towards reaching that goal.

Written response from The Prince’s Trust

September 2007

Third Sector Strategy for Communities and Local Government

The Prince’s Trust welcomes the ambition of the Department to improve relations with the third sector and to create a framework for fairness and consistency. The third sector is large and diverse and its strength is partly due to this variety and independence. The Department should therefore guard against:

1) imposing consistency in a way that might stifle the creativity of the sector

2) discouraging the “independence” of many organisations in the sector

Notwithstanding the above, The Trust seeks to support the Department in enabling the third sector, in all its guises, to contribute to vibrant communities and quality public services.

Read the full response.

August 2007

Volunteers Can: Towards a Volunteering Strategy to Reduce Re-offending

The Trust would not help the number of young people it does without its volunteer network. Volunteers are recognised by the young people we work with as adding something very special to the programme they are involved with, and are often the catalyst that helps to turn their lives around. This consultation sought views on challenges and opportunities surrounding volunteers, increasing the number and diversity of volunteers, on strategy in volunteer development and improving support for volunteers. Read the response

July 2007

Education and Training for Young People in the Youth Justice System

The Prince’s Trust has responded to the DfES’s consultation on Education and Training for Young People in the Youth Justice System, which follows a commitment in the publication 'Reducing Re-Offending Through Skills and Employment: Next Steps' (December 2006). The consultation sought views on issues for young offenders access to and participation in education, training and employment; the curriculum offer; workforce development; and the accountability framework for young offenders' education.

The Prince’s Trust has stressed the need for continuity in education in custodial institutions into schools and colleges in the community, which will help support young people to move away from offending and re-offending. The Trust is also concerned that funding in this area is age- rather than stage-bound. These points, and others, can be found in the response

June 2007

Written response to Raising Expectations: Staying in school post 16

The Prince’s Trust welcomed the Government’s move to encourage more young people into work-related training or education, but warned that fines and criminal action for truants will only serve to marginalise those who feel failed by the system. Responding to the Green Paper, Raising Expectations, Martina Milburn, chief executive, said:

“We welcome the Government’s move to invest in young people, but giving a criminal record to teenagers who drop out of education will only force them into a downward spiral of unemployment and crime. The number of 16 and 17-year-olds not in education, work or training has increased by 27 per cent in the past decade, in spite of moves to tackle this issue. More money is needed to encourage young people who feel failed by the system to continue training and find work.”

Read the document

May 2007

Written Evidence to trade & industry selcom on construction

The Prince’s Trust is aiming to address the lack of skills and diversity in the construction industry. Construction employers often don’t have the time or resource to invest in training and development for disadvantaged young people. The Prince’s Trust is aiming to address this problem by training young people in the industry.

Read the document.

April 2007

Written Evidence to work & pensions selcom on benefits

The young people supported by The Prince’s Trust continue to face problems with benefits. Many young people may not even seek our support as they fear they may lose their benefits. The Trust would support a simplification of the benefits system which encourages young people to take part in employment related training whilst remaining on benefits.

Read the document.

March 2007

Written Evidence to Home Affairs inquiry into knife crime

The Prince’s Trust has a significant role to play in helping to tackle the growing rise in youth crime, including knife crime. Case studies in this document show how tried and tested programmes can help to tackle youth crime, through working on the very estates where gang culture is endemic.

Read the document.

February 2007

Written Evidence to Home Affairs inquiry into effective sentencing

The Prince’s Trust believes that to reduce offending young people need support and positive things to do. Many offenders have complex needs so a holistic approach to support is required. By drawing on expertise across the board, a combination of public, private and voluntary sector support can be very effective.

Read the document.