Education without jobs? Youth unemployment in Birmingham
October 13, 2011
Education without jobs? is a new pamphlet by Richard Hatcher, published by Birmingham Socialist Resistance. With a wealth of detail, it looks at unemployment trends and patterns locally and nationally, analyses both Coalition and previously, Labour policies and presents suggestions for an action plan for the labour and trade union movement to propose as an alternative.
You can read / download it here or get a printed copy from your friendly neighbourhood SR supporter for just 50p
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Follow up comment from Richard Hatcher:
Jobs rebranded as apprenticeships,
government report warns
This article by Allegra Stratton (guardian.co.uk, 27 October 2011) provides more evidence that the government’s claims about its apprenticeship policy are misleading, for two reasons: few go to young workers, and many are not real apprenticeships. Below are extracts from the article – the full article is at http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/oct/27/jobs-rebranded-apprenticeships-government-report?INTCMP=SRCH
Ministers have been presented with a series of concerns that threaten to “undermine” the government’s £1.4bn apprenticeships policy, including claims that public money is paying for the rebadging of existing jobs into apprenticeships at supermarkets, a leaked document seen by the Guardian shows.
Statistics released showed an increase to 442,700 of new apprenticeships in the last year – 163,000 more than the previous year.
The document, from Cable’s department, written before the apprenticeship figures were published, admits that some apprentices are already existing employees, and that the biggest increase will continue to be among those over 25.
There is a low number of 16- to 18-year-olds among the increased numbers of apprentices, and the largest increase is in low-skilled placements.
Only 11,000 of this year’s new places have gone to 16- to 18-year-olds – less than 7% of the total. The number of new apprentices under 25 accounted for just 16% of the figures for this year.
Senior officials have described politicians’ claims about the high apprentice numbers as “dishonest” as they do not reflect the actual demographics of those involved. One critic is reported as telling officials: “To badge some of the lower end training as apprenticeships misleads learners and employers as to its value.”
But while the document defends the inclusion of existing employees and older learners, it says: “If we remain committed to calling less substantial training activities an ‘apprenticeship’, it is important to be aware of the impact this may have on public perceptions of the brand.
Also see
Don’t blame the young – it’s the jobs that have vanished
Gove’s proselytising about ‘mastering your destiny’ is absurd advice to school leavers whose chances have been scuppered
Zoe Williams
Guardian 3 November 2011
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/02/recession-young-people-unemployment