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More measures needed to combat NEETs

The Government must do more to combat youth unemployment, according to the chief economist at the IPPR.

Tony Dolphin made the comments in response the Deputy Prime Ministers announcement of plans to help young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs).

The £126 million pound scheme hopes to help 55,000 NEETs aged 16 and 17 in a bid to show more youngsters the benefits of work and education.

Commenting on the proposals, Mr Dolphin said: “It’s a welcome move but in the context of the numbers of young people not in work or training, it looks like a drop in the ocean.

2011 was the worst year for UK youth unemployment since records began in 2000, according to new IPPR research.

Analysis indicates that 958,000 young people were not in employment, education or training, an increase of 19,000 over the whole year. Average numbers of unemployed 16-24 year olds rose above 1 million for the first ever time.

The 16-18 age group saw the biggest rise, up 16,000 over the course of 2011.

Mr Dolphin also called on the Government to keep focus on schemes which are already in place, to ensure that real change is achieved.

He added: “Last Autumn, the Government announced plans for a new Youth Contractincluding 160,000 job subsidies and an extra 20,000 apprenticeships. It was another welcome measure but it is still a policy yet to be implemented.

“Assuming there is no slippage, the Youth Contract will come on stream in April, more than a year after the abolition of the ‘Future Jobs Fund’ and the Education Maintenance Allowance.

“Today’s NEET figures show just how many young people have struggled to find work or access training during that period of policy vacuum.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .