Member Article

Teenage unemployment down in Liverpool

Fewer teenagers in Liverpool are unemployed, after the number of 16 to 19-year olds Not in Education Employment or Training (NEETs) fell by over 27% at the end of 2012.

Liverpool City Council put this fall down to the re-launch of the Greater Merseyside Connexions careers service in April last year.

In December last 2012, just 1,308 teenagers in the 16-19 age range were in the NEET group, meaning eight in every 100 were unemployed.

The recently launched Connexions service now operates from council buildings, youth centres and a mobile bus service spread around 10 ‘priority areas’.

Cllr Steve Munby, Cabinet member in charge of the service, said: “These are really encouraging figures, especially when you consider the difficult economic environment.

“Being in work or training is essential for every young person, and that is why we are committed to helping as many as we can.

“It’s really important that we focus on the areas of the city where we know there are high numbers of young people who are not in employment, education or training so we are getting to those who need our help the most.

“We have had huge success getting hundreds of people on to the first rung of the employment ladder through our various apprenticeship schemes, so there are opportunities out there even in these difficult times.

“Rather than waiting for people to come through the door, we now actively go out and seek young people and go to the places where we know they are.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .