News
“Systemic inequalities are root cause of youth unemployment" says National Youth Agency.
19 September 2012
Figures show young people are more likely to be claiming Job Seekers Allowance than the rest of the population and recent ONS statistics suggest national youth unemployment is on the rise. Today, the Commons Work and Pensions Committee predicted that the Government’s Youth Contract will not improve youth employment.
In response to this Fiona Black, Chief Executive of National Youth Agency, said:
“While the Youth Contract is a solid first step to improving youth employment, experience tells us that stand alone initiatives cannot adequately address the systematic inequality which is at the heart of this UK wide problem.
“Young people do not become unemployable at 16. It is failures of the system - failure to effectively engage young people in learning; to ensure their health and welfare needs are met; to bring them up in supportive communities and families; to create opportunities to develop themselves and have positive experience with peers – that create young people who cannot join the labour market.
“The role of adults who directly engage with young people, either as professional youth workers or volunteers, cannot be underestimated in terms of the support they can offer young people in their development.
“If this government is serious about addressing youth unemployment, it must take an overarching view of youth policy and all the services that support the development of young people into active citizens. An approach that focuses solely on structural unemployment and the lack of appropriate labour markets for young people will fail to take out the root cause of the problem.”
ENDS
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