Alongside this reduction of benefits Cameron has pledged to stop more than 500,000 British jobs being advertised across the EU. Previously under the EURES scheme, all positions advertised in the UK had to be offered to EU citizens as well. On top of this, the scheme provided European workers with funding to cover travel expenses for interviews within the UK, relocation costs, English lessons and gave UK firms up to £1000 if they hired foreign workers. Arguably, the fact that of the 2.4 million jobs advertised on the EURES site, 1,138,847 were UK based jobs indicates the root of the UK’s immigration issue and subsequently the high levels of unemployment experienced particularly amongst young school and college leavers. Thus, Cameron’s calls to clamp down on recruitment agencies that only seek foreign labour and to reduce the advertisement of UK jobs within the EU should see employment benefits for the UK’s younger population, but these changes have wider implications, especially when considering the impact on the UK’s economy.

Cameron’s immigration policies are certainly intended to paint a more promising future for Britain, with the suggestion of many more jobs available and a reduction of benefits being allocated to non-nationals. However, critics have scorned this as nothing more than a cheap attempt to win voters especially considering that these policies go directly against the economic advice of the IMF who have warned that restrictive immigration policies within the UK could hinder productivity growth. This follows from an IMF report, which outlined that:

‘relaxing immigration requirements in areas with labour shortages such as manufacturing could provide a boost to productivity and facilitate the rebalancing of the UK economy.’

Thus, surely Cameron’s calls to reduce immigration are set directly against the IMF’s recommendation and indicate that he values pleasing the Eurosceptic punters above fostering the UK’s economy? This is, however, perhaps unfair as Cameron has clearly stated within all of this that the immigration changes still recognise the economic value of many immigrants and that the UK will continue to grant visas for graduate entrepreneurs and those of exceptional talent who will contribute to its growing economy. As Cameron has said, this is all about

‘carefully and painstakingly…building an economy that has real opportunities for our young people’

and should his projected outcomes of these policy changes prevail, the benefits should be seen directly in youth unemployment levels.

How does your country find a balance in this political hot-topic? Do you think the UK is handling it in an appropriate way?

Feature image: source

Noor Unnahar, founder of Noor’s Place and Noor’s Blog Designs, is a young entrepreneur based in Karachi, Pakistan. Alongside pursuing further education in the fields of business administration and finance, Noor has ambitions of making positive social change through her journalism.

I thought being an entrepreneur was mainly the work of white collar professionals until I got into it myself and realized entrepreneurship wasn’t something for a specific group. It was all about being you and pursuing your business goals. Sounds amazing, doesn’t it?

My journey as an entrepreneur began when I started blogging and generating income from adverts. Afterwards, I became a graphic and blog designer, which gave my little business a boost. It was amazing, I was merely a teenager but I was transforming into an entrepreneur. A young entrepreneur!

However, the real struggle started soon after, I had to manage and maintain it. I had to manage life, studies, blogging, designing ALL at once. It was overwhelming! Blogging and designing wasn’t a full time job but my studies were. I would drag myself from my books to my laptop every day.

On one hand, I was happy with being an entrepreneur but I was also putting myself under pressure to find a balance, which at first wasn’t working out well.

Through the support of friends, along with the online clients and blog readers, I gained useful feedback through their appreciation for my work and this made running my business easier. Being an entrepreneur, it’s my experience to share your problems with others. It won’t only relieve yourself but you can also get a handful of tips from experienced people. At 16, I didn’t really know many business strategies that others might use.

I also learnt from my experience not to compare myself to others in a negative way. Rather than seeing the differences in our creativity as discredit to my work, I have learnt to appreciate creative differences and draw inspiration from others.

I believe young entrepreneurs can often feel that they need a guide when entering the world of business. What I feel is important for other young entrepreneurs to remember is that it is okay to learn about business as you go. You do not have to have all of the answers straight away.

It has been two years since I started my blog ‘Noor’s Place’ and it has taught me some lessons I would never have learnt otherwise.

1. Learn from others. Don’t be shy to ask for help when you’re stuck for inspiration or need some good advice.
2. Network with other entrepreneurs. Ask them how did they start? What was their experience? They may be able to share something useful from their journey into business.
3. Invest in good marketing. When you’ve launched your product, give it a boost with supportive marketing, such as purchasing advertisement spaces on related websites or blogs. Alternatively, use social media promotions as seen on Twitter or Facebook.

If you’re a young entrepreneur, don’t be afraid to speak up and embrace your creativity. Work with dedication and make your own opportunities.

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