Government criticised for 'piecemeal' approach to youth unemployment

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jun/19/government-piecemeal-approach-youth-unemployment

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The government has been criticised for a "fragmented" and "piecemeal" approach to tackling youth unemployment, which has quadrupled over the past decade.

Amid fears that the number of unemployed 16- to 24-year-olds will again creep up in this month's labour market figures, the Work Foundation calls on the government to address youth unemployment as one of its main priorities.

Dr Neil Lee, the author of the report released on Tuesday, calls for a dedicated national unit headed by a minister to be established along the lines of the cities unit in the cabinet office which targets help at inner cities.

The report, Short Term Crisis, Long Term Problem: Addressing the Youth Unemployment Challenge, comes as figures show that about 264,000 young people have been unemployed for more than 12 months.

Lee said: "The government should be addressing youth unemployment as one of its most urgent priorities, yet the response so far has been piecemeal. Youth unemployment is a complex issue. To tackle it, we must ensure that young people have the education and skills they need for the labour market, the incentives to get into work and the necessary knowledge of available opportunities.

"At present, the government's response is split across the Department for Education, BIS [Department for Business, Innovation and Skills] and DWP [Department for Work and Pensions], with nobody responsible for the big picture. If young people are to get the support they need, these areas must be joined up in a coherent approach. It is a particular concern that at present no agency tracks or has responsibility for young people making the onwards transition from school."

David Cameron described youth unemployment as "unacceptably high" when it reached 1 million last year. But the prime minister pointed out last November, when Ed Miliband challenged him over the rise, that it started to increase in 2004 and rose by 40% under the last government.