In an attempt to stave off the 'lost generation' of young people affected by the recession, the Government has called on both public and private sector employers to consider taking on young apprentices. At the beginning of September 2009, an extra 85,000 jobs and training opportunities were announced as part of a British government drive to stem the rising tide of youngsters joining the dole queue.
More than 150 employers including Royal Mail, Microsoft, Centrica and Morrisons will provide apprenticeships. The government also announced 45,000 new training and support opportunities to help young people move into sectors that needed new talent and had vacancies, including hospitality, leisure, tourism and retail.
Though the scheme has been primarily directed at young workers in England and Wales - the jobless rate among 16 to 24- year- olds has soared to almost 20% with more than 920,000 classed as unemployed - it will be important for those young people leaving our schools that we do not lose a generation to work because of the global recession.
In the previous recession the young were a neglected cohort resulting in scarred families, communities and the economy for generations. The government is committed to not letting the same mistakes happen this time around. It is important for Careers Teachers working with their DEL colleagues to ensure that placements for school leavers lead to real jobs, offering good prospects and a decent wage.
The TUC will continue to encourage businesses to take on more young people, both as employees and as apprentices. Check out the websites below
www.careersserviceni.com
www.apprenticeshipsNI.info
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