Opportunities Guarantee

15 June 2020

Unemployment figures appear to be rising at an exponential rate and we know that young people and, more so, those with diverse backgrounds will be the most adversely affected. For our sector - the creative industries - diversity and representation have been a longstanding and wicked issue, very much pre-dating any Covid-19 timeframe. What we are seeing and where our concern lies is that the crisis will further entrench the deep-rooted societal issues we face.

On the weekend we were proud to put our name to this open letter to the Prime Minister to acknowledge and lobby for a sea change in how we support and navigate young people through such a period of great uncertainty.

The letter

Dear Prime Minister,

The unemployment figures released by the Office for National Statistics on Tuesday will reveal the biggest rise in unemployment in the UK in over a century. We are experiencing a jobs crisis greater than any that we have faced as a nation, with unemployment levels higher than the Great Depression.

We now call on the Government to publicly commit to an Opportunity Guarantee – that everyone who is unemployed will have the help that they need to get into work, with investment in the employment support, education, training and jobs to make this happen. As the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme winds down, we need to create opportunities for people to skill up, get a job and have a guaranteed role in our economic recovery.

The recovery must build the foundations for a new world of work. Through a focus on digital services, investment in green infrastructure and new technology, we will see new jobs, skills, careers & enterprise in a renewed labour market. But we will only get there by investing in the right support for people today.

The Opportunity Guarantee will;

1. Promote job creation by reducing the costs and barriers to employer hiring, and investing in the jobs that we need for the future.
2. Support people into work by doubling the capacity in services that help people access the jobs market, with greatest support for those facing disadvantage.
3. Secure opportunities for young people by ensuring that all have the choice of an education place, apprenticeship, or job.

A bold vision for the future of work coupled with these clear actions will enable regions, businesses, and households to plan their own contribution to the country’s success.

An Opportunity Guarantee must be at the heart of the Government’s solution to kickstarting economic growth for all, across our communities.


Yours sincerely,

Lynsey Sweeney, Managing Director, Communities that Work;


Andy Ratcliffe, CEO, Impetus;


Stephen Evans, CEO, Learning and Work;


Lord Robert Kerslake, House of Lords;


John Holland-Kaye, Chief Executive Officer, Heathrow Airport;


Hayley Tatum, Senior Vice President – Chief People Officer, Asda Stores Ltd;


Catherine Schlieben, HR Director- Talent, Leadership, Inclusion and Diversity, National Grid;


Jonathan Townsend, UK Chief Executive, The Prince’s Trust;


Scott Parkin, Chief Executive, Institute of Employability Professionals;


Tony Wilson, Director, Institute for Employment Studies;


Elizabeth Taylor, CEO, ERSA
Dan Jarvis, Mayor of Sheffield City Region, Sheffield City Region;

Mayor Jamie Driscoll, Mayor (North of Tyne), North of Tyne Combined Authority;


Helen Barnard, Acting Director Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Joseph Rowntree Foundation;


Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor, Liverpool City Region, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority;


Kate Henderson, Chief Executive, National Housing Federation;


Sarita-Marie Rehman-Wall, Chair, National Federation of ALMOs;


Andrew van Doorn, Chief Executive, Housing Association Charitable Trust (HACT);
Anna Smee, CEO, Youth Futures Foundation;


Laura-Jane Rawlings, CEO, Youth Employment UK;
Steve Stewart OBE, Executive Director, Careers England Ltd;
Maryanne Matthews, CEO, EY Foundation;

Together with:

Matt Wells, Head of Business Growth, 4OC / 50 Degrees; Helen Priddey, Learning Job Coach, ACH; Dr John Blackmore, Chief Executive, Action West London; Katharine Horler, Chief Executive, Adviza; Kome Owuasu, Project Coordinator, African Community School; Anna Morrison, Director, Amazing Apprenticeships; Clare Caccavone, Programme Director, Ambitious about Autism; Nicola Newman, CEO, Ansbury Guidance; Heather Picov, CEO, Apps for Good; Patricia Gerhardt Rangel, Managing Director, Art Sense Studio; Hayley Tatum, Senior Vice President – Chief People Officer, Asda Stores Ltd; David Hughes, Chief Executive, Association of Colleges; Mark Dawe, CEO, Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP); Suzanne Eusman, Head of Specialist Employment, Autism Plus; Isa Mutlib, CEO, BAME Apprenticeship Alliance; Steve Woolcock, Head of Employment Training and Skills, Barnardo’s; Tracey McIntosh, Executive Director of Partnerships and Commercial, Barnet and Southgate College; Andre Burwood, Programme Director, BASE/BPSDC; Mark Barron, Community Development Manager, Batchley Support Group; Bob Kitchin, Director, BDLD CIC; Jessica Mellor-Clark, Head of BeOnsite, BeOnsite; Amanda Garrard, Chief Executive, Berneslai Homes; Mark Ryan, Senior Leader, Birmingham City Church; John Donnellon, Chief Executive, Blackpool Coastal Housing; Philippa Knott, Policy manager, Blagrave Trust; Carrie Riley, Employment and Enterprise Manager, Bolton at Home; Richenda Yates, Manager Apprenticeships, Bolton College; Akhtar Malik, Development Manager, Bradford Youth Development Partnership (BYDP); David Hynam, CEO Bupa Global & UK, Bupa Global & UK; Nicola Inge, Employment & Skills Director, Business in the Community; Sandra Silvester, Director of Operations , Busy Bees Education and Training; Barry Fletcher, Chief Executive Officer, Career Connect; Tokunbo Ajasa-Oluwa, Chief Executive, Career Ready; Luciana Buzak, Employment and skills manager, catalyst Housing; Chris Wright, Chief Executive Officer, Catch22; Joyce Houston, Employability Operations Manager, CEIS Ayrshire; Turly Humphreys, CEO, Circle Community; Sally Eley, Director, the City & Guilds Foundation, City & Guilds Group; Polly Hughes, Development Director, City Gateway; John Westby, Head of Fundraising and Business Development, Clarion Futures (part of Clarion Housing Group); Clare Miller, Group Chief Executive, Clarion Housing Group; Allister Young, CEO, Coastline Housing; Stephen Thorpe, Head of Sales & Marketing, CogniSoft; Gareth Mitchell, Chief Executive, Colchester Borough Homes; Iain Lockhart, Development Manager, Collab Group; Preeti Dasgupta, Deputy Director, Collage Arts; Sian Coulton, Community Engagement Manager, Community Gateway Association; Andy Fish, Director, Community Heroes Limited; Andy Wood, Contract Manager, Construction Skills People; Sean Williams, Chief Executive, Corndel; Gemma Gathercole, Productivity and Skills Executive, Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership; Kelly Bogue, Coventry University; Oliver Benjamin, Director of Employment and Skills, Create Jobs / A New Direction; Emma Owens, Head of Customer Accounts, Curo; Carley Heyes, NEET Support Worker, CXK; Jonathan Portes, Professor of Economics and Public Policy, Department of Political Economy, King’s College London; Jackie Carpenter, Assistant Director Strategy, Derventio Housing Trust; Mark Pike, CEO, Develop; Alexandra Seddon, Supported Employment Manager, Discovery; Dr Deirdre Hughes OBE, Director, DMH Associates; Martha Wansbrough, CEO, Drive Forward Foundation; TY Jones, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Engagement, DWF Law LLP; Gavin Hoole, Co-ordinator, Dyspraxia Lambeth; Caroline Bragg, Employability and Skills Strategy Manager, East Sussex County Council; Tom Richmond, Director, EDSK; Laura Bell, Director, Careers and Employability, Education Development Trust; Ian Parkes, Chief Executive, ELBA; Maryanne Matthews, CEO, EY Foundation; Brian Bell, Chief Executive Officer, Fedcap Uk; Andrew Forsey, Director, Feeding Britain; Vikkie Wilkinson, Development Opportunity, Finchale Training College Trading as Finchale Group; Nathan Dennis, Director, First Class Legacy; Ellie Yell, CEO and Founder, Fledglink; Ivy Hughes, Assistant Director – Employment, Enterprise & Training, ForHousing; Asi Panditharatna, Director of Employment Services, Forward Trust; Michael Houlihan, CEO, Generation; Dr Nancy Doyle, CEO, Genius Within CIC; Thomas Harley, CEO, Get Set UK; N Warsama, Managing Director, Global Skills; Aileen Evans, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Grand Union Housing Group; Alex Whinnom, Chief Executive, Greater Manchester Centre for Voluntary Organisation and lead body for GM Talent Match & Hidden Talent; Mandy Meanwell, Executive Director Customers, Greatwell Homes; Graham Duxbury, Chief Executive, Groundwork UK; Sean McLaughlin, Managing Director, Homes for Haringey; Diane Thompson, Group Chief; Executive, Honeycomb Group; Mark Bowman, CEO, Inspira; Tony Wilson, Director, Institute for Employment Studies; Tim Jones, IAG Manager, Jobchange; John Higgins, Chartered Management Accountant, John Higgins Chartered Management Accountant; Chris Waples, Trustee, John Laing Charitable Trust; Dr Emma Egging, CEO, Jon Egging Trust; Sarah Oliver, Employment Lead, KEYFORT Group; Sonia Roberts, CEO, Landau Limited; Dr Jo Ingold, Associate Professor, Leeds University Business School; Liz Bailey, MD, Liz Bailey Diversity; Paul Walker, Team Manager Youth Justice, Local Authority KCC; David Montague, CEO, London and Quadrant; Stephen Jeffery, CEO, London Learning Consortium; Anna Ambrose, Director, London Progression Collaboration; VIRGINIE RAMOND, Chief Executive, LONDON SKILLS AND DEVELOPMENT NETWORK; Rosemary Watt-Wynes, Chief Executive, London Youth; Bria Simpson, Chief Executive, Magenta Living; Dr Katy Jones, Senior Research Associate, Manchester Metropolitan University; Martin Vowles, Business Development Consultant (EET), Martin Vowles Consultancy; Kirsty McHugh, CEO, Mayor’s Fund for London; Mark Capper , Head of Development, Mencap; Geeta Nanda, CEO, Metropolitan Thames Valley; Anna Moody, Marketing Manager , Microlink pc; Pastor Calvin Young, Senior Minister, Mount Zion Community Church, Aston, Birmingham; Maria O’Connor, Brand and Comms lead, Movement to Work; Isla Lightfoot, Marketing Director, MWS Technology – Aptem; Graham Duncan, Chief Executive, my AFK – working with disability; Joe Marshall, CEO, National Centre for Universities and Business; Steven Haines, Executive Director, National Deaf Children’s Society; Catherine Schlieben, HR Director- Talent, Leadership, Inclusion and Diversity, National Grid; Jonathan Douglas, Chief Executive, National Literacy Trust; Leigh Middleton, CEO, National Youth Agency; David Gallagher, Chief Executive Officer, NCFE; Nicola McGrath, Community Programmes Director, Newground Together (part of Together Housing Group); Angela Lockwood, CEO, North Star Housing; Lesley-Anne Kirk, Director, Northern Rights; Jo Miller, Employability Manager, Nottingham City Homes; Laura Mason, CEO, NYBEP; John Orton, Community Investment Manager, PA Housing; Sharon Long, Director, Partnership for Young London; Brendan Sarsfield, CEO, Peabody; Jim Ripley, Chief Executive, Phoenix Community Housing; Tom Chandler, Director, PLIAS Resettlement; Ian Reed, Interim Chief Executive, Plus Dane Housing; Simon Kelleher, Head of Education and Skills, Policy Connect; Sam Tims, Senior Policy Analyst, Policy in Practice; Matt Whittaker, Chief Executive, Pro Bono Economics; Helen Davey, Lead Practitioner (National Careers Service London), Prospects; Michelle Dawson, Managing Director of Community Services Company, Radian Group; James Chessum, Owner / Director, Red 5 People; Sue Pittock, CEO, Remit; Jo Thanki, Community Engagement Manager, Remploy; Jo Rice, Chief Executive, Resurgo; Rebekah Wallis, Director – People & Corporate Responsibility, Ricoh UK; Stuart Coady, Business Director, RiseUp CIC; Cherri Blissett, Associate Director, Rocket Science; Rachel Roxburgh, Charity Consultant, Roxburgh Consultancy; Sue Mountford, Joint CEO, Royal Association for Deaf people; Jason Hardman, Head of Lifestyles and Work, Royal Mencap Society; Alan Lockey, Head of the Future Work Centre, Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce; Patrick Hughes, Director, Salientwork Ltd; Lindsay Evans, Managing Director, Sgiliau Cyf; Chris Luck, Chief Executive, Shaw Trust; Gail Gibbons, Chief Executive Officer, Sheffield Futures; Fraser Ingham, Sales & Marketing Director, Skillsfirst Awards; James Plunket, Social Investment and Strategy Lead, SOFEA; Zak Ahmed, Commercial Director, Sovereign & Bale; Mark Washer, CEO, Sovereign Housing; Tom Clarke-Forrest, Founder & CEO, Sport 4 Life UK; Sam Hyams, Managing Director, Springpod; Nadia Adam, Team Leader, Skills and Employment Team, St Giles Trust; Jackie Bedford, CEO, Step Ahead; Tamsin Millns, Managing Director, Step Recruitment Ltd; Julie Pickering, Head of Business Development, Steps to Work (Walsall) Ltd; Amanda Ward, Employment Support Manager, Stockport Homes; Sonia Ramanah, Project Director, StreetVibes Academy; Christina Earl, Head of Innovation and Business development, Surrey Choices; Jenny Connick, Founder, Talentino; Gill Cronin, Director of Operations, The 5% Club; Andy Milne, National Manager, The Better Health Generation; Jan Ellis , Chief Executive, The Career Development Institute; Loic Menzies, Chief Executive, The Centre for Education and Youth; Bethia McNeil, CEO, The Centre for Youth Impact; Siobhan Price, Head of Service, School Improvement, Skills and Employability, The Education People on behalf of Kent County Council; Carol Matthews, Chief Executive, The Riverside Group; Ashley McCaul, CEO, ThinkForward; Karen Kenmare, Senior Housing Related Support Manager, Thirteen Group; Steve Coffey, Group Chief Executive, Torus; Graham Smithers, Head of Services, Tower Project Job Enterprise and Training Services; Ndidi Okezie, CEO, UK Youth; CORRINE BOUGAARD, CEO, Union Dance Trust Ltd; Paul Gregg, Professor, University of Bath; Tristram Hooley, Professor of Career Education, University of Derby; Hannah Stranger-Jones, Director Impact and Influence, UnLtd; Amelia Morgan, CEO, Venture Trust; Richard Mettrick, BBO Performance Manager, Vestia Community Trust; Cheryl Quine, Work & Enterprise Manager, Weaver vale Housing Trust; Gary Fulford, Group Chief Executive, whg; Maureen Metcalf, General Manager, Willenhall community forum; Ken Edwards, CEO, Working Options in Education; Nathan Jack, Employment and Enterprise Manager, Wythenshawe Community Housing Group; Margaret Brewer, Operations Director, Xyrius Training Limited; Diane Roberts, Interim CEO, Yes (Your Employment Service) subsidiary of Northwards Housing; Sharon Davies, CEO, Young Enterprise; Joe Levenson, Director of Communications and Campaigns, Young Women’s Trust; Shenaaz Chenia, CEO, YouthBuild Ventures UK; Rani Moorcroft MBE FRSA, Director, Zedgeneration cic