Youth unemployment update

I have posted as a separate page - click on the link on the right of the blog - Professor Sue Maguire's notes from her talk to the Branch last Tuesday.  As ever, enthralling and not a little terrifying. 

Prof Sue Maguire on EMA

Sue gave a lucid and detailed account of the Labour governments introduction of Education Maintenance Allowance, to help 16 to 18 year olds remain in full time education. For £30 per week, young people from poorer families were encouraged to stay in education. Sue evaluated the pilot in 1999, and EMA began throughout the country in 2004. It was subject to huge evaluation, which showed that it increased uptake of further education among poorer youngsters. Despite it`s clear success, it was withdrawn by our current government in 2010.
EMA was a small price to pay to our youth, who often seem to have a poor deal compared to others in our society. No wonder increasing numbers of our youth feel neglected and alienated from society, when the younger age band has record high unemployment rates, and even this small contribution of help is removed.

Status Zero Generation

Our speaker at Tuesday's branch meeting was Professor Sue Maguire, an expert in the field of youth unemployment. Sue's professional profile, research projects and publications can be found here. Sue kindly left her notes with me so that I could add them to the blog. You will find them under the new 'pages' sidebar on the righthand side of the page.

Sue's talk was brilliant, the discussion it sparked fascinating - but is there a more chilling phrase in the lexicon of Government-speak than Status Zero Generation?