Monday 28 October 2013

National Service works .. now how about a National Business Service?

As I sit down to write this, I’m looking at the front page of the local paper, the Argus, which is leading with a story about yobs who disrespected the War Memorial in Brighton. Instead of fighting for their country and getting the discipline they so clearly need by enlisting in one of the armed forces, they showed a basic lack of morality and decency.



My thoughts turned to national service, as they so often do when I hear of such incidents. Then they took a detour via the business community. Could the two work hand in hand? How about a scheme which meant each young person who was out of work had to sign up to a local business to get a year’s ‘national business service’?

Everyone wins: every young person learns something about the business world, gets work experience and a chance to improve their skills sets as well as their interpersonal proficiency; businesses volunteer themselves and get not only an extra pair of hands for a year (at minimum living wage with government assistance) but a potential new employee; the community wins by not having so many bored, under-occupied young people on the streets; and government wins by hitting some more of its targets. 

At the end of the year, the business has the opportunity to permanently employ the young person or the individual can sign up to another business, with a limit of two years in the scheme.

Small businesses could choose whether or not they have the ability or capacity to take part, but certainly medium to large companies would be encouraged to take part. It is, I think, an extension to the apprentice/intern scenario.


We have to get a handle on the NEET generation/s by doing something real, practical and positive, otherwise future generations will believe this is all there is to life. All the many well-intentioned projects up and down the country do their best but there needs to be a culture shift, as we so often hear. Let’s just get on and do it.


First published the The Argus 22.10.13