By Gary Ford, head of strategy and producer engagement, BFREPA
Opportunities for young people have been in the spotlight again following a report by former Health Secretary Alan Milburn, who warned that young people are “caught in a perfect storm”. His interim report, Young People and Work, describes the situation as a “moral crisis” and warns that we risk creating a “lost generation”.
The figures are stark. According to the Office for National Statistics, 1,012,000 young people aged 16–24 are not in employment, education or training (NEET) – the highest level in twelve years, with projections rising to 1.25 million within five years.
It is perhaps unsurprising that one in four NEETs report depression or anxiety limiting their ability to work.
Reading the report made me reflect on my own experience at 16, back in 1984. I was fortunate: as part of my farming “education”, my father found me a job with a nearby livestock farmer. I cycled there each day and worked full‑time between finishing my ‘O’ Levels and starting sixth form. The work was hard – cleaning pig and calf pens by hand, stacking small bales into sevens ready for the “bale slave” attachment on the front‑end loader. I often felt I was the bale slave, as sweat ran down my face and thistles bit my hands. But it was character‑building.
It was my first proper ‘entry‑level’ job, and I earned £1 an hour. I remember briefly sitting down to stretch my aching back, only for the farmer to walk in and bark that he “couldn’t afford to pay me £1 an hour to sit around doing nothing”. Harsh, but I learned a lot: work ethic, resilience, pride, and purpose. Despite the tough days, I remain grateful for the opportunity.
It made me wonder what £1 an hour in 1984 equates to today. According to the Bank of England’s inflation calculator, it’s £3.34. At that rate, I would happily take on a 16‑ or 17‑year‑old for weekend or summer work – helping grade eggs, keeping sheds clean, being another pair of eyes on the farm. In return, they’d gain experience, confidence, and something meaningful for their CV. Who knows – they might become a future farm manager.
Realistically, I would pay £5 an hour, not £3.34, because even at 16 I felt £1 an hour was close to ‘slave’ labour. But when I checked the current minimum wage for 16‑ and 17‑year‑olds, I was surprised to see it is £8.00 an hour.
While I support the principle of the National Minimum Wage, I do question whether the level is now so high that it discourages employers from offering those vital first jobs. Would I take on a 16‑year‑old at £8 an hour if I didn’t have enough work for them? Honestly, probably not — and that feels wrong, but it’s the commercial reality.
The minimum wage is good in principle, but is it set at the right level to revive Saturday jobs and holiday work — the very opportunities that once gave young people their first foothold in the world of work, and which are now in such short supply?