DWP jobs fair presents warmongering to out of work youth

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) held its first Youth Guarantee jobs fair in Blackpool. But as always with the DWP, it’s not all it seems – as the fair was packed with military and weapons manufacturers.

DWP Youth Guarantee plows on

As the Canary has previously reported, The Youth Guarantee is the department’s scheme to force young people into work. The DWP claims this is a supportive process, but it’s clear it’s to kick people off Universal Credit into low-paid jobs.

The DWP boasted that

Thousands of young people were brought together with employers today for the first ever jobs fair for the Youth Guarantee

The fair brought 94 employers to Blackpool Winter Gardens, however the first red flag is the type of employment on offer. While there were full time jobs, the DWP highlights that many were offering  “apprenticeships, traineeships, work experience placements.” Translation: low or below minimum wage pay.

We also have to look at the kind of employers that the DWP were pushing on young people. While there were the Blackpool staples of the Pleasure Beach and Leyland Trucks, some were not as wholesome.

Heavy military and weapons presence

It’s almost expected that there’ll be a heavy military presence at these things by now. So naturally, the Royal Air Force and the UK Armed Forces were there to seduce working-class kids with the promise of a stable income, a roof over their heads and “duty”.

Also present were the police force, but this is the rare occasion where the police being somewhere was a good thing. It was reported by local press that the police apprehended a local man who tried to attack Blackpool South MP Chris Webb.

Even more worryingly, there were a number of companies there that have links to defence and the arms trade at the fair.

Arms giant BAE Systems was present at the fair. Last year they celebrated record profits of blood money from the Middle East and beyond.

Also in attendance was Composites UK, a trade association for

companies working in the UK’s fibre-reinforced polymer composite supply chain

However the trade body includes many composite suppliers to Israel’s deadly Elbit Systems. Some of whom were recruiting at the fair, Teledyne and Brookehouse Aerospace. Both also supply to arms companies Leonardo, BAE, and Raytheon.

These weren’t the only dangerous recruiters. The fair also included engineering giant Babcock International, “defence manufacturer” the WEC Group and CNC Robotics. DWP chief Pat McFadden can be seen high-fiving one of their creepy little robots at the start of the DWP’s propaganda video about the fair. The company also supplies robotics to the defence industry.

Also in attendance were Safran Nacelles, a subsidiary of Safran Group. They’re a major French aerospace, defence, and security company. Make UK trade association were also there, who have a defence sector offshoot. It’s “strategic partners” are a who’s who of the arms industry, with many links to Israel’s genocide including BAE, Lockheed Martin, Thales, and Pearson Engineering.

The DWP is forcing our kids into war

After the event, McFadden headed up a round-table with 16 employers from the manufacturing industry. The DWP says he “secured support” for the Youth Guarantee from these “major players”.

However of the 16 employers, 7 of them had links to war. Babcock International, Teledyne, Brookhouse Aerospace, Safran Nacelles, Make UK, WEC Group and CNC Robotics supplies were all part of the discussion.

The DWP talks a lot about wanting to “support” young people into work. However, it’s clear that their only alternative to low-paid, low-skilled work is to become a cog in a machine for war mongers and profiteers. That or be used as cannon fodder in rich men’s wars.

It might’ve been the Tories that wanted to bring back National Service, but it’s Labour who are coercing young people into the arms and military complex.

At least the Tories were upfront about wanting to force our kids to die in wars.

Featured image via the Canary