I read in a paper yesterday that nearly 20% of 16-24 year olds are unemployed now - the figure quoted was nearly 1 million people.  Many of these kids (with lots of qualifications) profess to have given up looking for work, and who can blame them ? What has gone wrong ? I started work BEFORE I had left school and the opportunities were endless ! I worry about my own children's future that's for sure !

Quoted from PaulaM

Many of these kids (with lots of qualifications) profess to have given up looking for work, and who can blame them ?

Me! Why would you give up looking for work? And how long have they been looking for work? There are plenty of places hiring. Granted, it may not be what many 16-24 year olds are looking for in a job, but it is work for the time being, none the less. Also, employment of any type looks 100% better on a CV than a blank space. I do have some sympathy for school/uni leavers that are finding it harder than they thought. And certainly, if they have been led to believe that life will be easy for them and work will be plentiful if they just finish university then that is obviously wrong. But I'd be interested in seeing how many of those that are struggling to find work have degrees that are actually of use to an employer, or of worth in industries where there are skills shortages.

Ultimately, if you are under 24 and have given up looking for work, then IMO you haven't been looking long enough.

Quoted from massifheed

Me! Why would you give up looking for work? And how long have they been looking for work? There are plenty of places hiring. Granted, it may not be what many 16-24 year olds are looking for in a job, but it is work for the time being, none the less. Also, employment of any type looks 100% better on a CV than a blank space. I do have some sympathy for school/uni leavers that are finding it harder than they thought. And certainly, if they have been led to believe that life will be easy for them and work will be plentiful if they just finish university then that is obviously wrong. But I'd be interested in seeing how many of those that are struggling to find work have degrees that are actually of use to an employer, or of worth in industries where there are skills shortages.

Ultimately, if you are under 24 and have given up looking for work, then IMO you haven't been looking long enough.

Ohhh you know what I mean !! If they left school at 16 and are still looking for work when they are 24 their morale must be at an all time low !!  My step-son applied for voluntary work at 17 and was told he was too young .... he was offering to work for free  ..... like you said to have something on his CV, and for something to do !! (He works now)

Perhaps I should put my question a better way - are there still YTS positions ? Apprenticeships etc ?  Why is the pecentage so high ? Are todays youngsters not 'up' to the job ? Are there simply just too many of them now ?  Have immigrants taken the jobs ? Are schools/careers officers failing them ? Do careers officers still exist ? Is it because retirement age has risen, there is no room ? Do you think maybe some of them are viewed as simply too overqualified (6 a-levels aren't needed in a coffee shop) etc etc

Quoted from PaulaM

Ohhh you know what I mean !! If they left school at 16 and are still looking for work when they are 24 their morale must be at an all time low !!  

Either their morale is at an all time low, or they are champion shirkers. I know where I'd put my money.

Quoted from 26

Either their morale is at an all time low, or they are champion shirkers. I know where I'd put my money.

Perhaps that sort of opinion is why there are so many unemployed ? Granted there are plenty of champion shirkers but do we tar them all with the same brush ? Maybe I just answered the question myself - the key is to look for work before you leave education to avoid the rush ? Maybe school leaving dates could be staggered so thousands more don't join the dole queue in July ?

Is it bad parenting ? A 16 year old I know has just left her shop job simply because she didn't like it - her parents are supporting her in this - personally I would have frog marched her there myself !

I have a son who left school last year, luckily he was working whilst still at school (15yrs old), he has left, goes to college and any other spare minute he has, he is working, he is very lucky, helps that he is also a hard worker and willing. A few of his friends are finding it very hard to find work and i do feel sorry for them. My eldest (20 yrs) also worked from age 15 and has never not worked. I feel it does depend a lot on what the parents work 'ethic' is. My husband is a very hard worked and has never (luckily) not worked. i work Part-time and have done from the DAY my daughter started school - she went from 9am to 12 at first and i used to race round to pick her up, straight from work. I still do part-time as she is only 9yrs old. But our work ethic is very good and i feel the boys learnt from this, they were also never 'handed anything on a plate' hence why my son has just paid for his first car himself from his own savings.

Not all young people are lazy, some genuinely cant find work. Its not a great place out there for them at the moment.

Look, youth employment has been a big problem for sometime and it has consistently been a low priority for governments. My main concern will be what happens when EMA is scrapped and tuition fees treble, surely youth unemployment will grow further?

Quoted from richard.garvie

Look, youth employment has been a big problem for sometime and it has consistently been a low priority for governments. My main concern will be what happens when EMA is scrapped and tuition fees treble, surely youth unemployment will grow further?

..... and for those of us that speak English .... what's EMA ?  

Quoted from PaulaM

..... and for those of us that speak English .... what's EMA ?  

Its a payment that students can get (up to £30 per week, i think) depending on the parents wages. This is due to stop.

Quoted from Bumbles

Its a payment that students can get (up to £30 per week, i think) depending on the parents wages. This is due to stop.

Yes, due to be replaced by those universities that want to charge more for their courses having to offer more places to the less well off.

Quoted from user23.3

Yes, due to be replaced by those universities that want to charge more for their courses having to offer more places to the less well off.

You don't know what you are talking about. EMA 0 Education Maintanance Allowance is a paymet given to young people who stay on at school or go to college, and as has been mentioned before it is upto £30 a week to help pay for travel, materials etc. This payment is also based on the attendance record of a student.

Tuition fees are unconnected, and as yet none of the measures that were used to justify the trebling of tuition fees have been brought in to play.

You get paid £30 to go to college ????? Bloody hell wars can no-one do anything for themselves these days ??

Quoted from PaulaM

You get paid £30 to go to college ????? Bloody hell wars can no-one do anything for themselves these days ??

It is conditional; it is not a given.  The amount also varies according to circumstance.

Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is a financial scheme applicable to students and those undertaking unpaid work-based learning in the United Kingdom aged between sixteen and nineteen whose parents have a certain level of taxable income.  This applies to those doing, or applying to do, at least 12 hours of guided learning on further education courses in school sixth forms, sixth form colleges and Further Education colleges. This includes a wide range of courses up to and including level 3, such as A-levels, GCSEs, BTECs GNVQs, NVQs and other vocational qualifications. Those partaking in an E2E (Entry to Employment course, formerly known as Work based Learning) must do at least 16 hours a week of guided study. Any missed lessons except for extenuating circumstances voids payment for that week. As of 2010, the weekly payment for the England scheme breaks down as such:

    * £30 per week for those whose household income is under £20,817 p.a.;
    * £20 per week for those whose household income is between £20,818 and £25,521 p.a.;
    * £10 per week for those whose household income is between £25,522 and £30,810 p.a.

Up until 2010 bonus payments of £100 were available to students who were in receipt of EMA. These bonuses were available in January and July but as of September 2010 these bonuses are no longer available.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_Maintenance_Allowance

Greenham Common you are a ray of sanity amongst it all ! What about my other questions re YTS apprenticeships etc ?

Quoted from PaulaM

Greenham Common you are a ray of sanity amongst it all ! What about my other questions re YTS apprenticeships etc ?

Crickey, it's a bit of a story, but after a lot of juggling by governments it is currently known as: Young People's Learning Agency.

http://ypla.gov.uk