Youth Work Ireland has today welcomed the confirmation by the EU Employment Ministers meeting that a Youth Employment Guarantee will be progressed. The securing of the guarantee is a welcome achievement by the Irish Presidency. Much of the work has been done at European level as a counter balance to the Europe wide approach of austerity. The European Commission has taken a significant step forward with previous proposals according to the youth group which has said that Ireland would struggle to deliver an estimated 40,000 education and training places required under a youth guarantee system. Ireland has a big opportunity during the presidency to progress this idea according to the organisation whose 22 members work with a number of early school leavers but it needs to show leadership at home in this field at the same time.

“The Government appears to have problems meeting its commitment to 60,000 education, training or work experience places set out in the Programme for Government. This is a huge disappointment to those hoping for a better future in this country. Emigration is on the rise and clearly a huge number of young people see no alternative to leaving their country. This entails a huge economic cost as these young people have been educated to a high standard and at a high cost. The Government should now set out precisely how and when it will deliver on the commitments in the Programme for Government for young unemployed people consistent with the idea of a youth guarantee” Said Michael Mc Loughlin of Youth Work Ireland

“The Government internship programme, JobBridge has been the major response and the jury is still out on that, either way the quality and the numbers for this programme need to improve and increase. More emphasis should be placed on quality education and training. There are too many restrictions on labour market programmes such as Community Employment and Back to Education and Work Allowances; these were developed when the longer term unemployed needed to be targeted but young people need attention today. We need to provide a greater level of enterprise support to young people today whose insight into new and smart industries can assist a real recovery. The Youth Guarantee concept should act as a spur to the Government here to improve the capacity of the education and training system here” Mc Loughlin added

ENDS

Contact: Michael Mc Loughlin 01-8584509 


Press Release
Youth Work Ireland
February 28, 2013