Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that youth unemployment is now at 1 in 5 and is double that of other age brackets.

These figures mean that not only do we need the government to continue working on ways to generate new jobs but employers also need to help in finding ways to get these young people into work.

Last year saw a lot of publicity of internships and in particular, unpaid internships. In a similar vein, the suggestion has now been made for young people to get involved in useful volunteering positions. British Telecom (BT) are one such employer who have utilised volunteers and in turn given them something back. They understand the need to provide mentoring to young individuals and to get involved in tasks that highlight their strengths and weaknesses. These experiences not only help the young volunteers to decide on the kind of role that might best suit them in the future, but also provides them with experiences they can talk about at interviews.

For organisations who provide young people with an opportunity to improve their CV they also have the opportunity to gain supporters of their business or cause. They should use this opportunity to foster what could become a long term relationship with the volunteer. Every interaction should be seen as an opportunity to market their product or service not only to the individual volunteering at the moment, but to their circle of friends and family also. In short it makes sense in CSR terms (Corporate Social Responsibility), which can translate into sales and loyal followings for years later.

It seems that now is the time to move away from internships, which are usually quite few in number and to place a lot more concentration on providing young people with diverse volunteering opportunities. Both sides can benefit from the scheme if carried out in the right way. The employer should consider what it hopes to gain from the help of volunteers and have in place activities that will on the one side add value to their business and on the other add value to the volunteer's time spent. This way both sides will benefit from maximum motivation. A less thought out voluntary scheme is unlikely to yield the same potential for results. The government needs employers to step up to the challenge in this age of austerity where many of the funds and services that were available to help improve youth employability are being cut.