Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham has echoed the concerns of Labour Leader Ed Miliband over employment opportunities for young people that have been lost due to the abolition of the Future Jobs Fund.
The Future Jobs Fund, set up by the Labour government, was used to help long-term unemployed people, in particular young people, into work. It was scrapped last year by the Coalition government.
Alex said:
“The Work and Pensions Select Committee, of which I am a member, recommended that the Government think again about scrapping this valuable scheme. In Stockton alone, over 180 young people were employed – immediately giving back to the local economy.
“It is essential that the talent of our young people is not left to go to waste due to the short-sightedness of the Coalition, which is evident in the rising levels of unemployment.
“Therefore, I again urge the Tory-led coalition to rethink their proposals and to look again at how successful the Future Jobs Fund scheme was for so many young people.”