Call to support tomorrow’s workers

21 Feb 2014 03:46 PM

European Youth Guarantee needed to make best of all job creation resources.

Minister for Youth Employment Angela Constance has called on cross party support for the European Union’s Youth Guarantee to stimulate jobs and training opportunities in a letter to the UK Government.

Speaking ahead of the Glasgow Caledonian University Referendum Debate this evening Ms Constance reiterated the need for an independent Scotland to have the full powers to fully integrate employment and skill services and adopt job creating schemes such as the Youth Guarantee.

The Youth Guarantee seeks to ensure young people aged up to 25 are offered a quality job, continued education, an apprenticeship or a traineeship within four months of leaving formal education or becoming unemployed.

Ms Constance said:

“While we know from the latest labour market statistics that the youth employment rate in Scotland is higher than the UK as a whole, we still have a long way to go to improve employment opportunities for young people in Scotland. To do that, we must make best use of all the resources at our disposal, including adopting the European Union’s Youth Guarantee.

“Having met representatives from Finland and Austria which have implemented their own Youth Guarantees, as well as the European Youth Forum, I have heard clear evidence of the benefits that a programme rolled out across Europe could bring.

“I have written again to the UK Government, whohas so far failed to fully endorse the European Union’s Youth Guarantee, today asking them to realise the benefits of such as scheme.

“Were Scotland to have the full levers of independence, including our own welfare system and the freedom to fully implement the EU’s Youth Guarantee that will ensure earlier invention to help those who have become unemployed, we could create even more opportunities to support young people into employment.

“This would offer great reassurance to all young people leaving formal education, including future graduates of Glasgow Caledonian University.”

Notes to editors

More on the European Union’s Youth Guarantee

http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1079&langId=en