BELS Appoints New Chief Executive - Michael Manning-Prior
In the last year the number of young people trapped in long-term unemployment has shot up by 41.9%, according to the Office for National Statistics. In the current economic climate there is a danger of repeating the mistakes of past recessions which led to lost generations of jobless young people. According to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s Youth Employment Taskforce, the direct cost of youth unemployment is £4.7bn a year.
To tackle the growing youth unemployment challenge, Business & Education London South (BELS), a registered charity, has appointed a new Chief Executive, Michael Manning-Prior, to expand employment and enterprise opportunities for young people. He will lead the expansion of the Charity’s support services for young people and extend its geographical reach.
BELS works with businesses, educational and voluntary organisations to empower young people and help them into employment and further education through the provision of skills training, coaching, adventure team building, employer engagement and work experience placements. The Charity has just launched a holistic programme of support for young people not in education employment or training (NEETS) - Creating Positive Futures - funded by the London Development Agency.
“This is an important strategic appointment for BELS at a time when young people are facing huge challenges in this unpredictable economic environment”, says Matthew Hogg, BELS' Chair. “The Board of Trustees are delighted that Michael has joined us to spearhead the next phase in the development of BELS for the benefit of the young people we support.”
Michael Manning-Prior has over 20 years experience as a Chief Executive in the field of youth enterprise and business development, both nationally and internationally. Commenting on his appointment, he says:“Against the backdrop of increasing youth unemployment, BELS is committed to supporting young people and driving forward the development and implementation of innovative approaches to advancing their socio-economic well-being”. Michael Manning-Prior was previously Chief Executive of Enterprise Development Worldwide and, before that, of Wandsworth Youth Enterprise.
17th Sep 2010
