Unemployed young people are to be guaranteed a job, work placement or "work-related skills training" following the government’s Pre Budget Report (PBR) announced yesterday but nothing is being set aside for the older unemployed.
Jobless under 24s are set to get Darling’s new ‘job or training guarantee’ which was originally included in the April 2009 Budget and due to come into force next month. However the 12-month timescale was halved yesterday in a move to tackle long-term unemployment among the young.
However, the move has been criticised by the industry as being too youth-focused, ignoring the many unemployed people in their 50s struggling to find work. Gerwyn Davies, Public Policy Adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) said: “Modest increases in unemployment in recent months mask the growing challenges faced by jobseekers, particularly if they are young and have been unemployed for more than six months.”
Yet while Darling has also announced further support and skills training for people over 50 to help them find employment, it appears the lion’s share of the funding has been spent on up-skilling younger workers.
“The challenges facing older workers are set to worsen in the coming months. We urge the Chancellor to urgently consider extending the jobs guarantee to ensure over 50s who have been unemployed for more than six months are given the real help they need to get back into work,” added Davies.
The Chancellor has also pledged support for 10,000 graduates from "lower earning backgrounds" to help them find internships to improve their skills and employability.
