UK – Youth unemployment and the legacy of austerity

A Youth Guarantee was adopted by the European Council in June 2013, based on successful schemes in Finland and Austria. Member States are encouraged to take an active role in securing the future of their young generations by engaging educational providers, employers, public authorities and trade unions to ensure that young people have the advice, skills and confidence they need to get a firm footing in the jobs market. Under the Youth Guarantee, European countries agree to provide all young people under 25 with a quality offer of employment, education, apprenticeship or training within four months of becoming unemployed or leaving full-education.

In the UK, where under-25s are now three times more likely to be unemployed than the rest of the population, adoption of the Youth Guarantee is critical. Without a trained, supported and resilient young workforce, growing a strong economy will be merely a pipedream.

The government has ignored repeated calls to implement EU recommendations in the UK, instead insisting on continuing support for centralised, underperforming and unpopular domestic measures. A recent House of Lords report warned that the Coalition risks scarring an entire generation in its refusal to implement the Youth Guarantee, learn from successful experiences of other Member States and make use of the wealth of local expertise on youth issues across the country.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at  Youth Unemployment and the Legacy of Austerity Britain | Jude Kirton-Darling.