LIB DEMS LAUNCH POLICY TO GET ALMOST 900,000 UNEMPLOYED YOUNGSTERS BACK TO WORK

A leading local Liberal Democrat has backed an action plan to get unemployed young people back into work.

Michael Mullaney Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Bosworth is backing his party's ambitious plans to try and help 900,000 young people into employment or training.

The shocking statistic that nearly a fifth of 18 to 24-year-olds are currently unemployed, compared to less than one-in-ten of all other ages shows that this policy is a key point in building a better future for Britain delivering a better trained and more motivated workforce and lifting almost a million young people out of a future of unemployment.

Michael Mullaney said "Unemploment in Hinckley and Bosworth has gone up by a half in a year and many young people are amongst those losing their jobs.

"We cannot afford to let young people get trapped in a culture of dependency - which is why our new proposals make sure young people get the help they need before they give up hope"

"Our plans will give almost 800,000 young people across the country the opportunity to get into industry through paid internships this will help raise the level of training and knowledge across the workforce preparing us for the challenges of a post recession Britain.

An extra 60,000 places will be funded in universities and colleges, opening up further and higher education. We will also fully fund apprenticeships to put British industry back on track and give more youngsters places on essential back-to-work schemes.

Michael Mullaney continued "This is a real plan for Britain future. At a time when the agenda is being monopolised by stories of cuts it is a real mark of the Liberal Democrats that we launch a policy that will lift the hopes and aspirations of a generation of unemployed young people and help build a well trained workforce fit to face the future in a post recession Britain"

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The most recent figures for unemployment in the Bosworth constituency show it has risen from 1,219 in December 2008 to 1,829 in December 2009. See page 30 of http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp2010/rp10-003.pdf