LGA response to Deputy Prime Minister's announcement on youth employment

15 Nov 2013 01:14 PM

Responding to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg's announcement regarding investment in youth employment over the next three years, Cllr Peter Box, Chairman of the Local Government Association's Economy and Transport Board, said:

"Councils are united in their commitment to support young people and this is an acknowledgement that councils and local partners are best placed to help young people into work. Although we recognise this as a positive step for many places, we now must ensure that all local areas are able to ensure services meet the needs of young people and local employers.

"The Government invests around £15 billion in young people each year, but the current national system is highly centralised and complicated with 35 different schemes spanning 13 different age boundaries.

"Local examples continually demonstrate that locally joined-up and targeted schemes have the most success in working with employers and helping young people into the local job market. Evidence suggests a devolved approach could reduce youth unemployment by 20 per cent in three years and save the taxpayer £1.7 billion each year."

Contact

Victoria Daly, Senior Media Officer
Local Government Association
Telephone: 02 7664 3308
Email: victoria.daly@local.gov.uk
Media Office (out-of-hours contact): 020 7664 5333
Local Government House, Smith Square, London SW1P 3HZ

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