The Work Ethic

[Brassed Off]

With the prospect of long term unemployment for many youngsters aged 20 something and below, what are this govt. and the next one (Tory ? ) going to do ?
Throw them all on the dole, with all its consequences?
Once people get used to not earning a living, this can in many cases lead to a lifetime of being on benefits. This is of no use to the individual or our society!
Far too many experts at present are suggesting that on leaving education, these youngsters should take a gap year.
I'm sorry but a gap year is in most cases an excuse to go off on a holiday!
What does this indicate to the young. Out of site, out of mind, and off the unemployment figures. We are not stupid or are we ?
With the parlous state that many companies are in , they cannot be expected to employ, and train very many.
For the first period of employment most youngsters are a liability until they become acclimatised with the workplace, and those within it. It can be quite a culture shock to mature employees, never mind those just having left education.
To encourage employers to partake in training/apprenticeship schemes it has to be attractive to them, and what are most business's interested in? A healthy balance sheet = profit.
By producing viable inducements, be they tax incentives or hard cash, many companies will come on board.
Such a scheme must not be a short term policy, beloved by all UK politicians. There must be an undertaking to cover the full training programme, be it 1 year or 3 to 4 years dependant of the type of scheme that is entered into.
Then given the end of this period of financial uncertainty,and it will end. We as a nation should have a trained and qualified young workforce ready to respond to the upturn of worldwide demand.
If we do not nurture the youth now, we as a nation will continue to slide down the international scale of growth and stability!