NUT comment on rise in unemployment figures

Commenting on today’s Office for National Statistic (ONS) figures which show a rise in unemployment, Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union, said: “Today’s unemployment figures are yet another sign that the Government’s austerity measures are not working. Youth unemployment, up by 20,000, is both a waste of talent and the wrong start in life that can lead to a feeling of hopelessness. Schemes such as apprenticeships can provide a bridge between education and the workplace for many young people. We need many more high quality workplace-based apprenticeships, all of them paying at least the living wage and which lead to guaranteed employment on completion.

“To prevent us descending into a situation whereby it is only those with money who can continue in education, we need to keep calling for the full restoration of the Education Maintenance Allowance and the eradication of higher education tuition fees. Many of the children who will have been affected by these measures will be at higher risk of unemployment.

“Government really does need to address the issues of unemployment and the disastrous effect it has on the economy and the individual. Our young people are society’s future; their skills and education need to be developed for the sake of our economic future. The IMF has today said that the Government’s austerity plans are not working and need to be reined back, these figures compound those concerns

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