6:50am Tuesday 24th November 2009
By Matt Watts
Young people in Lambeth are demanding more is done to help counter youth unemployment which has rocketed by almost 60 per cent in the past year.
The latest figures show 1,015 people aged between 18 and 24 claimed jobseekers' allowance in October this year, up from 645 in the same month in 2008.
Some 21.8 per cent of people claiming unemployment benefit in the borough are aged 18 to 24. Across London more than a quarter of jobseekers are young people.
Lib Dem parliamentary spokesman Chris Nicholson called the increase "alarming".
He said: "Urgent action needs to be taken through more apprenticeships, training and paid internships if we are to avoid a 'lost generation'"
Councillor John Kazantsis, Lambeth's cabinet member for employment and enterprise, said the council had a number of schemes set up to help the young unemployed, and had already helped more than 500 young people aged under 24 into either training, employment, of further support and advice in the last full academic year.
He also pointed to almost 200 jobs that are to be created in the next six months thanks to The Future Jobs Fund - a £1.2m Government grant to target those at risk of joining the ranks of the long-term unemployed.
Young people who have been out of work for almost a year will be eligible for the scheme which guarantees 25 hours of paid work experience a week for six months in newly created jobs in areas such as environmental consultation, construction, admin or social services.
Young people wanting help finding a job can visit lambethfirst.org.uk/futurejobs or jobcentreplus.gov.uk for more information.
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