Job prospects for untrained youths deteriorating
23/06/2014
Employment opportunities for young and low-skilled workers are deteriorating “rapidly”, a report has claimed.
The report, which was released by Trades Union Congress (TUC), described the employment situation for youths outside of full-time education as “alarming”.
It said that the average young person outside of full-time education is less likely to have a job than those in the 50-64 year old category.
Additionally, it also claimed that the employment rate for people with no qualifications is now less than 50%, whilst only 63% of those with basic qualifications currently have a job.
Speaking about the report, TUC general secretary, Frances O’Grady claimed that the government are not doing enough to help young people get into work.
Mr O’Grady was quoted as saying that the government are “keener on kicking struggling youngsters when they’re down and removing the safety net that they need to learn new skills and find work”.
He then went on to suggest that the government should “increase funding for employment programmes, for example by guaranteeing a job or training to any young person who’s been out of work for more than six months”.
Flawed and irresponsible
In response to the report, the government and the Department for Work and Pensions have dismissed the findings, claiming the report is flawed.
They said that the sections of society the TUC have raised concerns about are actually doing better than after previous recessions.
Employment minister, Esther McVey, added to the governments comments, calling the report “wrong, misleading and irresponsible”.
She conceded that whilst the jobs market is tough for young people, their employment prospects are “better now than in any other recent recovery”.
Additionally, she went on to praise young people who aren’t studying in full-time education for “grasping the opportunities that are out there”.
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