Figures released last week show there are 979,000 16 to 24-year-olds currently unemployed in the UK, 20,000 up when compared to the previous quarter.
The figure of 3.66 million 16 to 24-year-olds in employment is also 62,000 down, the data from the Office of National Statistics shows.
Both the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and the National Union of Teachers (NUT) called on the government to prioritise Apprenticeships and work skills.
NUT general secretary Christine Blower said: “We need many more high quality workplace-based Apprenticeships, all of them paying at least the living wage and which lead to guaranteed employment.”
Meanwhile, FSB chairman John Allan added: “The FSB wants the government to focus on supporting small firms to take on apprentices and boosting young people’s employability skills.”
Register now, read forever
Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.
What's included:
-
Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast
-
New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday
Already have an account? Sign in here