‘Neets’- messing up Britain?
August 19, 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8207180.stm
More than one in six 18-24 year olds in Britain are ‘Neet’ (not in employment, education or training) “something meaningful is needed” is what is being said- in terms of giving employment opportunity at the bottom of a ladder that youth would be interested in and able- to climb.
But is it a question as to what line of career is now being considered as meaningful?. Its not long ago though that we were hearing how impressive the figures were for the percentages of people of the same age bracket being in higher education- record figures http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jan/15/ucas-universities-students
The biggest rise being in ‘mature’ students correlating with a theory of a lack of direction and decision as to future aims, the same with the widely reported increase in gap years to ‘find oneself’- what happened to having a dream- and those that do dream now seem to dream of crazy things- there are probably more kids that dream of being the next Justin Timberlake and more teenage girls the next big glamour model than boys dreaming of being a fireman or a detective, following their fathers footsteps, owning their own business etc.
What happened to these high figures and where has all the employment and training opportunities gone we hear that they are there but more specifically those that the youth of this country deem worthy of endeavor to succeed in- are they setting their standards too high? do they not want to work their way up?
We know that there is a lack of manufacturing industry in the UK now compared with what it was historically but there is still big business, trading, invention but possibly a lack of quality entrepreneurship http://www.themanufacturer.com/uk/content/9361/British_inventors_hampered_by_lack_of_enterprise There is no shortage of people dreaming of being good entrepreneurs, just a lack of structured encouraging support, good and well publicised capital investment offers (aside from the dragons den) and training provided (aside from apprenticeships offered by Sir Alan Sugar).
Failing that- why does the government not simply cut benefits and pour the money into UK business with the specific aim to create more jobs-graduate and otherwise, publicising it at local job centre level and above and forcing people into the workforce which would also create expansion of business and stimulate growth and importantly, decrease unemployment.
