Abta calls for speedy progress on new Youth Experience Scheme

Abta is urging the government to progress quickly on negotiations for a new UK-EU Youth Experience Scheme (YES).

The plea follows the launch of a new report by the crossparty UK Trade and Business Commission, which recommends a time-limited scheme for 18-30 year olds, capped at 44,000 visas in the first year.

This aims to restore opportunities lost as a result of Brexit for young people to work, live and travel in the EU.

Luke Petherbridge, director of public affairs at Abta, welcomed the new commission’s report on how a UK-EU youth experience scheme could be “practically delivered”, adding that allowing young people to work abroad was essential for the industry’s growth.

He said: “We urge the government and the EU to make progress on negotiations as swiftly as possible and particularly support the report’s call that barriers to participation, specifically around costs, must be minimised.”

He added: “Working in travel jobs in Europe gives young people the chance to develop much-needed customer relations skills, amongst others, and these roles have been the launch pad for many careers in travel.

“Sadly, these opportunities are now few and far between, with the number of UK citizens in travel roles in Europe down by 69% since the UK left the EU.

“Yet, there is a great deal of support for these opportunities – with Abta research showing 76% of all voters, and 61% of leave voters, supportive of a youth mobility arrangement with the EU."

The new report makes 17 recommendations to speed up progress towards closer collaboration, as set out in an UK-EU summit in May.

With a pledge to keep to the government’s manifesto pledge to reduce net migration to the UK, the report suggests a two year scheme, with an option to be extended for a further year.

The scheme would offer a “once in a lifetime visa route” not tied to any purpose, such as a job, and operate independently from existing student visa programmes.

It pledges to make the scheme accessible to all young people by cutting application fees to “as close as nominal as possible”.

Healthcare access for those going to the EU from the UK would be managed through the mutual recognition of the EU Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), the report says.

If agreed it would be the most generous youth mobility scheme to operate between the UK and other countries.