Youth Unemployment

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean Excerpts

Tuesday 14th February 2012 Lords Chamber

[Lord Freud]

My Lords, a point that I have made here in the past is that we have had a structural issue with youth unemployment for more than a decade, The number of youngsters inactive or unemployed has been growing steadily, right through to the end of the longest boom that we have ever had. My view—and the Government’s view—is that the best way to tackle that is to make sure that youngsters have education that gets them fit for the workplace. That is why this Government have taken on in toto all of Professor Wolf’s recommendations, because they deal with these core issues.

[Lord Forsyth of Drumlean]

My Lords, on that point, does my noble friend not agree that one of the mistakes we have made over the past 15 or so years is to encourage youngsters to go for degrees at university rather than vocational courses that provide them with the skills that are demanded and, indeed, are in short supply in the labour market?

[Lord Freud]

My Lords, the most shocking thing in Professor Wolf’s report was when he said—I shall quote it—

“as a society we are failing at least 350,000 of our 16-18 year olds, year on year”,

because we had been providing them with vocational education that did not lead them anywhere. That is why our strategy to increase apprenticeships and get vocational training back under control is so important for this generation.