A New Deal for young people from minority ethnic communities in the UK

Abstract

The New Deal for Young People is central to the British Government's labour market policy and their programme of welfare reform. Previous initiatives which were aimed at tackling youth unemployment failed to cater for the needs of one of the most disadvantaged populations in Britain: minority ethnic youth. This paper reports upon research conducted in Oldham (North-West of England), and examines the experiences of 75 young people, mainly from minority ethnic communities. This qualitative longitudinal study of New Deal participants explores the extent to which the New Deal meets their needs and expectations. We find that, despite the evidence of negative views towards training schemes in the past, the experiences of minority ethnic young people in Oldham have been encouraging and seem to match those of white people, both in Oldham and elsewhere. In particular, benefits in relation to employability were recognised by many young people. Participants perceived increased levels of confidence and the development of new skills. However, those avoiding or dropping out of the New Deal are much more critical, and there is a danger that the New Deal is helping only those young people who are best able to help themselves.