Turn any page of a newspaper or hear a member of government or business leader speak, and it’s hard to miss talk of “levelling up” and “building back better”.
Whilst there is so much debate about what levelling up really means and what it will deliver, there is one thing I am certain of. We cannot truly build back better if we don’t understand the specific challenges and needs of each person and community post-pandemic. This is especially important for our young people, who have disproportionately suffered in the last year. Our young people have had to put their life plans and aspirations on hold to contain a virus that is far less likely to cause them serious illness or death, and they are now burdened with paying down the national debt accrued over months of lockdowns, furlough and subsidies. That is not fair.
