Rather than introducing a job creation scheme for young people this government is focusing on apprenticeships to solve the issue. With concerns about having enough accessible places, employer’s ability to deliver apprenticeships and whether or not they will lead onto paid employment, BIS announced new apprenticeship friendly measures today – cutting much of the red tape for employers, introducing financial incentives etc. However if you look at the Jobcentre jobs section there are many apprenticeships as waiters and kitchen porters, paying £100 a week for who knows how many hours. Without any safeguards in place the apprenticeship schemes could become a means for exploitative employers. It’s not quite an apprenticeship but this article illustrates how mismatched some of the youth employment interventions are to the particular needs of young people, and ultimately what motivates/incentivises a young person the most is taking home some money at the end of the day! Young people are by no means a homogonous group and each person has their own needs and barriers, but to tackle unemployment all young people do need the opportunity of employment.
via Tackling youth unemployment « Community Links blog.
