Stuart Anderson MP in bid to tackle youth unemployment across South Shropshire
Stuart Anderson MP has called on the government to reverse the “worrying trend” of youth unemployment in rural areas such as South Shropshire. It was part of parliamentary questions asked to Ministers in the Department of Work and Pensions on Monday, 7th October 2024. Stuart had tabled an oral question about the accessibility of Jobcentres in rural areas, given their role in helping to tackle youth unemployment. It comes as the local youth claimant rate has increased since the General Election.
In August 2024, there were 1,365 claimants in South Shropshire, which was 2.6% of the population aged 16-64. This included 185 claimants aged 18-24, which is up 10 claimants on the previous month. In response to Stuart’s question, Minister for Employment Alison McGovern MP said that tackling youth unemployment would be a “major focus” of the new government’s work in this area - with a white paper on employment support expected to be published in the Autumn.
Under the last government, the level of youth unemployment had almost halved. 163,000 young people started a job via the Kickstart Scheme, while 226,785 enrolled onto the Restart programme. Meanwhile, there were over five million new apprenticeships starts since 2010. Yet, there has been a 29% increase in the number of 16–24-year-olds who have been signed off as ‘long-term sick’ since the pandemic. Almost 900,000 of the country’s young people, one in eight of them, are now not in education, employment, or training.
Stuart said that he wants to tackle youth unemployment for the better as part of his plan to unleash rural prosperity and make South Shropshire the best place to live in, work, and visit. Earlier in the year, Stuart published an ‘employment support’ page on his website, which he said he will keep updated with any developments following publication of the White Paper. Stuart also said that Jobcentres must always deliver effective outreach with accessible careers advice in rural areas like South Shropshire.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
“Since the General Election, youth unemployment has sadly increased in South Shropshire. I want to see this worrying trend affecting rural communities like ours changed for the better. So, I have called Ministers to account on this issue. While I welcome the government’s intention to deliver a plan to address this topic, I want to see a clear focus included on rural communities. South Shropshire is full of potential. I want to ensure that everyone, regardless of background or geographic location, can access high-quality training and education opportunities as well as personalised careers advice. This will address skills gaps, boost productivity, and unleash rural prosperity.”
Stuart's question can be watched at https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/237036a7-883b-4063-8356-a306b4dab3f4?in=15:03:08.
