TUC Urges UK to Expand Youth Jobs Funding for 1 Million NEETs as Welfare Cuts Loom
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Nov 9
TUC Urges UK to Expand Youth Jobs Funding for 1 Million NEETs as Welfare Cuts Loom
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Nov 9
Summary
Paul Nowak said ministers must sharply increase spending on youth employment, training and education rather than repeat “arbitrary” benefit cuts, arguing the investment would pay back through lower welfare costs and stronger growth.
Nearly 1 million young people are not in education, employment or training, and the warning comes before Alan Milburn’s delayed review, which is expected to propose welfare cuts to help fund job support.
The government says it has already pledged £2.5 billion for youth employment support, targeting almost 500,000 earn-and-learn opportunities and up to 200,000 jobs through employers in retail and hospitality.
Political caution still hangs over the debate after an earlier U-turn on disability benefit cuts, while polling for the Jobs Foundation shows Britons now rank the youth jobs crisis second only to the cost of living.