Green Party deputy leader Mothin Ali will today (3) announce the
first phase of a new policy to provide a guaranteed job for every
18-24 year old lasting up to two years, which would start within
four months of leaving education or training.
Under the Youth Jobs Guarantee, these will be real jobs, paying
proper wages, with full workers' rights as set out in the Green
Party Workers' Charter.
The first stage of the scheme will target areas across the
country where the NEETs crisis is most acute, in areas such as
Rotherham, Ceredigion, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Broxtowe, South
Staffordshire, that have the least vacancies for young people.
The Government will pay half of the wages for the 24-month
placements for non-public sector positions, and employers will be
exempt from National Insurance contributions but must provide
structured training and meet high employment standards.
The savings from a jobs guarantee are enormous, due to reduced
welfare spending, higher tax receipts and lower health and social
costs associated with unemployment. Each young person who
experiences a prolonged period out of employment, education or
training, loses up to £300,000 in lifetime earnings, with up to
£240,000 in costs to the public purse.
The Green plan is much broader than the Government's job
guarantee programme which only offers a six-month part-time
minimum wage programme for 18-24 years who have been on Universal
Credit for 18 months.
Mothin Ali will tell the conference:
Working class kids should be able to dream.
But more than dreams, they should have a genuine chance of making
those dreams into reality.
Threatening young people with cuts to Universal Credit if they do
not accept short term work placements is not a youth strategy.
Ignoring the two-way link between mental health and unemployment
- is not a choice.
Failing to take targeted action to connect our young people with
jobs of the future is not OK.
