Partner Article

Region’s employers must tackle youth unemployment

A Middlesbrough-based training organisation has backed the government’s calls for employers to play a role in tackling youth unemployment.

The Coalition has published a paper, Supporting Youth Unemployment, which has pledged £60m to create work programme places for 18-year-olds and increase the capacity of JobCentre Plus to support 16 and 17-year-olds.

Prime Minister David Cameron has challenged businesses to give young people a chance to experience the world of work, which is a position supported by The TTE Technical Training Group

Keith Leslie, director of Apprenticeships at TTE, said: “The Prime Minister is correct to encourage businesses to give young people a chance in the workplace because without employer support there will be a major skills crisis.

“Without the right support these young people will be lost to industry forever.”

TTE currently has more than 600 young people at various stages of apprenticeship training, but say they could increase that number with greater support from employers across Teesside.

“The Government has played its part by committing to create 250,000 more apprenticeships over the next four years – now its time for employers to play their part and welcome apprentices into their businesses.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .