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Scottish government to unveil youth unemployment strategy | Scottish government to unveil youth unemployment strategy |
(about 9 hours later) | |
The Scottish government has unveiled how it plans to tackle youth unemployment, which is at its highest for a generation. | |
The jobless rate north of the border stands at 231,000, with 88,000 falling into the 18-24 year old category. | The jobless rate north of the border stands at 231,000, with 88,000 falling into the 18-24 year old category. |
New Youth Employment Minister Angela Constance revealed her draft strategy during a visit to two employers. | |
Labour's Kezia Dugdale said the country was facing a youth unemployment crisis. | Labour's Kezia Dugdale said the country was facing a youth unemployment crisis. |
She called for the purse strings to be loosened and for more to be done to get young people into work. | She called for the purse strings to be loosened and for more to be done to get young people into work. |
Ms Dugdale told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "There is no doubt this is nothing short of a national crisis the number of young people unemployed in Scotland is absolutely shocking and rising, up 8,000 in the last three months." | Ms Dugdale told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "There is no doubt this is nothing short of a national crisis the number of young people unemployed in Scotland is absolutely shocking and rising, up 8,000 in the last three months." |
She added: "I met a 23-year-old man yesterday who has got two kids - he doesn't want unpaid work experience, he wants the chance of a job. He wants the opportunity to make a better life for himself and his family's future." | She added: "I met a 23-year-old man yesterday who has got two kids - he doesn't want unpaid work experience, he wants the chance of a job. He wants the opportunity to make a better life for himself and his family's future." |
Ms Constance, whose post was created last month to tackle the growing number of out of work young people, visited The Marriot Hotel in Glasgow and Hewlett Packard in Erskine. | |
Ms Constance said the Scottish government would support more young people through the introduction of the Opportunities for All programme. | |
She added: "This will take a strong existing package of education and training support and ensure that every 16-19 year old not already in work, education or training will have access to a suitable place in learning or training. | |
"We recognise that our response to youth unemployment must go beyond education and training. | |
"Throughout my adult life I have maintained the view that our young people's life chances are best served by a parliament with full job creating powers. | |
"However, irrespective of the powers our parliament holds, we will continue to do all we can to create the conditions for economic growth. | |
"That's why through this strategy we will foster an all-government and all-Scotland approach to supporting Scotland's young people and will make certain that elements of our entire spend are directed toward youth employment." |