YOUTH Employment Week comes at a time when many young people are struggling to find a route from education into work. While our peninsula has lots to offer, there are still barriers to contend with, and many young people in Cornwall feel they need to “leave to achieve.”

The South West is paradoxical; it has the lowest overall rate of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) in England. Yet it is a low-wage economy, with significant inequalities that hold young people back. Cornwall has a higher than average number of NEETs.

Unsurprisingly, at the Cornwall Education and Skills Festival at Truro & Penwith College, transport emerged as one of the biggest barriers for young people. That is why I am hosting a public Bus Summit in my constituency at the end of July. I want to hear directly from local young people about the improvements required as the public transport options they need are not always there.

In rural and coastal communities, access to opportunity can’t always be measured accurately by distance, and the reality is often better shown in the journey time. I know students who spend up to four hours a day travelling to and from college, leaving little time for after-school clubs and other enrichment activities. A job, apprenticeship or work placement may exist, but if reaching it requires hours on patchy public transport, it can definitely feel out of reach.

The cost of travel is another concern. As a young person, where you live has a big impact on what you can afford to access, whether that's a theatre trip or a visit to Parliament or simply getting to school or work experience. This feels particularly acute when compared with the experience of children in London, who can travel on buses and the Tube for free.

Work experience is another challenge. While Cornwall has exciting and growing industries, from marine engineering to critical minerals, lots of young people struggle to find placements that help them tap into local opportunities. We need our schools, colleges and businesses to be working in tandem so that when young people hear about Cornish jobs in critical minerals, they know exactly how to get there. Next year, Cornish Lithium is expected to be hiring for a number of jobs, and I want our young people to be ready with the right skills and training to get involved, rather than having the workforce imported from elsewhere.

Tackling youth unemployment is a top priority for this Labour government. We are investing £2.5 billion over the next three years, through the Youth Guarantee and Growth & Skills Levy, to help young people move into work. And since the end of June, through the new Youth Jobs Grant, businesses in Cornwall can access £3,000 for every eligible young person they hire. With all of our many small and medium-sized businesses, I know this support has a lot of potential.

We need to help our young people gain the confidence and skills they need to seize these opportunities. Along with the transport to get them there.