Getting young people into work

Lib Dems in Government making sure every young person has a fair chance

The Lib Dems in Government are taking real action to tackle youth unemployment.  Every young person who wants it will be guaranteed a job, training or work placement.

The Youth Contract will create over 400,000 new jobs and 250,000 new work experience placements to help young people across Britain to get into work.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg MP said, “If people are out of work when they’re young they bear the scars for decades. If they have a false start, they might not ever fully catch up.

"This £1 billion investment will make sure our young people are earning and learning again, before long-term damage is done.”

The Liberal Democrats are determined to tackle youth unemployment - an issue that has been ignored for too long. 

During Labour’s 13 years in power, youth unemployment rose by nearly 40%. There was a shocking 86% increase in the number of 18-24 year olds claiming Job Seekers Allowance.

Local Lib Dem Cllr John Gibson added, “Our new plans will make sure every young person has a fair chance. Thanks to the Lib Dems in Government, 830 local learners took on an apprenticeship in the past year to gain key skills, and now the 69% of young people in our area on Job Seekers Allowance will get extra support to help them into work too.”

The £1 billion new investment to tackle youth unemployment includes:

•       Over 400,000 new work places for 18 – 24 year olds over the next three years

•       250,000 extra work experience places for every 18 – 24 year old who wants one (after 3 months on Job Seekers Allowance) and 160,000 wage subsidies

•       All 18 – 24 year olds to receive extra careers support from Job Seekers Plus (after 3 months on Job Seekers Allowance)

•       More funding to support apprenticeships, including 20,000 more incentive payments to encourage employers to take on young apprentices

•       A new programme to help the most disengaged 16 – 17 year olds get learning again or into a job with training

Save Money, Stay Warm, Go Green

Soaring world energy prices and the failures of successive UK governments mean that many people across Britain are facing a tough winter.

That’s why we need Liberal Democrat activists across Britain to join our campaign to help people in local communities save money, stay warm and go green.

Taking Britain forward

The Liberal Democrats in Government are fighting to tackle the dreadful legacy of failures on housing and fuel poverty.

Millions of British homes are cold, draughty and expensive to heat – hitting everyone in the pocket and putting the vulnerable at risk. Every year, tens of thousands of people in Britain die because they couldn’t keep warm in winter. Many more become ill, placing a major strain on their families and the NHS.

The Liberal Democrats are also driving forward real action on renewable energy generation to ensure Britain becomes less reliant on dirty, expensive fossil fuels.

Free and discount insulation available

We’ve forced energy companies to spend more on insulating some of Britain’s draughtiest and coldest homes - helping 3 million householders by the end of 2012. In October 2012, the Lib Dem Green Deal will start - creating over 100,000 jobs and helping millions of people insulate their homes at NO COST to themselves.

Help for pensioners

The new Lib Dem Warm Homes Discount will give an extra £120 each year to the least well off pensioners to keep warm this winter. That’s on top of the £4.50 a week pension rise that all pensioners received in April.

The Save Money, Stay Warm and Go Green Campaign

Please spread the word on the actions the Lib Dems are taking in government to help people save money, stay warm and go green.

The first stage of the campaign has 3 goals:

1. To help increase awareness and take up of energy saving insulation schemes
2. To make sure older people are getting the help they need to keep warm this winter
3. To give everyone practical advice to save money, stay warm and go green