Tackling youth unemployment - what’s the answer?

By: Lindsay Plumpton

Communications Leader

Thursday 20 September 2012

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According to a report this week by the Work and Pensions Select Committee, the Government's youth contract is “insufficient” to tackle the scale of youth unemployment on its own.

The youth contract provides £1bn for a range of initiatives aimed at getting young people into employment. Measures include providing 160,000 employers with a "wage incentive" of £2,275 to take on an unemployed 18-24 year-old, 250,000 work experience placements and also additional support from Jobcentre Plus.

If all goes to plan and targets are met, the contract is expected to create an additional 430,000 work opportunities over the next 3 years. However, the committee sees the plan as overambitious and has recommended that the Government makes some changes in order to make the contract a success.

NCFE offers a range of employability related qualifications designed to equip young people for the labour market and secure a job. For example, the NCFE Job Search and Interview Skills qualifications help learners to identify vacancies, promote themselves, prepare for a job interview and maximise their chance of employment success.

You can read more on the Government youth contract and committee report here.

You can find out more about the Job Search and Interview Skills qualifications here.

Let us know what you think. What is the best way of addressing youth unemployment? Is the Government scheme on the right track? Is employability education the way forward?

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Authors

Lindsay Plumpton

Communications Leader
96 posts
David Grailey

Chief Executive
79 posts
Andrew Gladstone-Heighton

Policy Leader
75 posts
Esme Winch

Managing Director
35 posts
Michael Lemin

Policy and Research Manager
25 posts

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