In a new move, the government has announced that it will pay
companies which get teenagers back to work.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg's £126m Youth Contract aims to
cut the number of England's ‘NEETS’ - 16 and 17-year-olds not in education,
employment or training. Mr Clegg, who unveiled the "pay-per-Neet"
scheme in February, has announced more details about how it will work. The
deputy prime minister said young people who had "fallen through the
net" needed "tailored support".
However the scheme has come under immediate criticism by Labour
who called the scheme ‘too small and much too late’, while Chris Keates, leader
of the NASUWT teachers' Union, has accused Mr Clegg of being responsible for an
increase in Neets by scrapping the Education Maintenance Allowance.
Charities and businesses selected to help the 55,000 NEETS return
to college or find jobs will be paid by results.
They will get up to £2,200 for every young person helped, but the
full amount will only be paid if the youngster is still in full-time education,
training or work six months later.
One of the successful bidders, Pertemps People Development Group,
in the north-east of England will offer "bite-sized" English and
maths courses - and make wake-up telephone calls "to help young people
develop a routine".
Another company, in Yorkshire, will use ex-soldiers to deliver
motivational sessions to disaffected young people through the Heroes to Inspire
campaign.
Almost one in five young people aged between 16 and 24 are
classified as Neet - with the most recent figure standing at 1,163,000.
The three-year programme will focus on 16 to 17-year-old Neets
with no A*-to-C GCSEs who are at the highest risk of long-term disengagement.
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