Universities minister promises 'lost generation' more help is on the way
But fears for future jobs remain for anxious students in North Yorkshire
Last updated 5th Mar 2021
The universities minister is promising more help to anxious students who fear the pandemic has torn their futures away from them.
Michelle Donelan says a "package" of government support will be unveiled in the next couple of weeks, after we revealed the fears of young people in North Yorkshire.
Iwan Stone is a final year English Literature student at the University of York who's worried about job prospects, saying "graduation feels like just a box to be ticked now- something that you can use on your applications."
"It does feel very cold and calculated now. That's no reflection on the University, who have been very supportive through the pandemic. It feels like we're going to be leaving in limbo; it's been a term that everyone's been using at the moment."
But Ms. Donelan's insisting help is already out there for students, including online courses that can help bolster their CVs.
It's come just days after the chancellor set out his budget, where he confirmed companies will be paid more to take on young people who are on Universal Credit.
Students are not usually eligible for Universal Credit in the UK.
"Devolution is the only way to create vital jobs"
After Rishi Sunak announced a raft of new measures in the North, that will see parts of the treasury move to Teeside and Leeds become home to the country's first National Investment Bank, there's now calls for devolution in North Yorkshire.
Henri Murison, the Director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, thinks it could be the solution to creating more jobs for people like Iwan: "Funds from projects in the Budget could be targeted on projects that have the biggest economic impact in areas that need it most.
"You've got to think that there were places with real economic pressures even before Covid. Pile on the additional pressures of shutting down industries like tourism and leisure, which are particularly key to certain parts of North Yorkshire and York, and that's going to have a real impact on places like that to recover.
"We have to invest in higher productivity jobs - that's absolutely critical to avoiding these problems of having low wage economies - which are highly seasonal - where young people can't necessarily access jobs which are well paid and secure.
"Our real challenge is that we can't only depend on sectors that have perhaps played too big a part in the local economic mix. You need strong local government focusing on the real economic problems in each area, and that's exactly what I think the Chancellor should deliver through devolution; I think he's committed to do that with this Budget".