Editor’s Comment

Give young people a leg-up

Young people have shouldered the worst of the unemployment crisis during the COVID19 pandemic, according to a recent report by the Learning & Work Institute and The Prince’s Trust.

The study found that under 25s have accounted for three in five jobs lost during the pandemic. What’s more, the outlook is worse for young people than older workers because they are underrepresented in sectors such as health and social work that are likely to see the strongest growth.

Leaving school or graduating from college or university should be an exciting time for young people as they look to move into the world of work. Instead, right now, many face uncertainty as their search for a job is stymied by the low number of vacancies, due in part to firms prioritising getting back on their feet and taking care of existing employees.

I know through conversations with my ‘children’, who are graduating from college/university this summer, that many of their peers do not have anything lined up to take them on their preferred career path. Some continue their long search for their dream job, while others have accepted any post they can get as a stop-gap. It’s a sorry situation.

For this issue of Cash & Carry Management (pages 14-16), Abigail Brierley, a student at Durham University, looked into employment opportunities for young people in wholesale.

She found that Brakes, Parfetts, Pricecheck and Wing Yip all offer great opportunities, including placements and graduate roles, and all have continued to run these programmes despite the huge challenges of the pandemic.

These wholesalers highlight the value that young people bring to their business – from enthusiasm and a fresh perspective to the latest knowledge in areas like technology. They also say that employing young people can help to develop the skills of existing staffmembers who train and mentor the recruits.

Brakes’ HR director Margaret Gooch sums up why young employees are so important: “Their fresh and innovative ideas are contributing to the modernisation of our business, challenging the status quo and making Brakes a better place to work for new and existing colleagues.”

Of course, not all wholesale firms are able to offer structured internships, placements or graduate roles, but even providing work experience is usually greatly appreciated by the individual concerned.

Altruistic reasons aside, it makes good business sense to engage with young people. As Pricecheck’s joint MD Debbie Harrison says: “If you’re willing and have the capacity to invest in the next generation, then you’ll reap the rewards as that individual grows alongside you.”

Kirsti Sharratt Managing Editor

SPOTLIGHT: DARREN LABBETT OF WOODS FOODSERVICE

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR CASH & CARRY/DELIVERED WHOLESALERS MAY 2021

Investigation

Career opportunities for young people in the wholesale trade

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EDITORIAL

Managing Editor Kirsti Sharratt Contributor Abigail Brierley Contributor Kevin Whitlock

ADVERTISING AND MARKETING Publishing Director Martin Lovell Media Sales Manager Clare Phillips

4,448 July 2018 –June 2019 Audit Bureau of Circulations

Printed by Bishops Printers ISSN 1352-254X

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