Nick Clegg joins Greg to launch party youth unemployment plans (Newcastle upon Tyne Liberal Democrats)

Newcastle upon Tyne Liberal Democrats <info@newcastle-libdems.org.uk>

Nick Clegg joins Greg to launch party youth unemployment plans

September 10, 2009 4:00 PM
Originally published by Greg Stone

Nick Clegg MP Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has today visited Newcastle East with parliamentary spokesman Greg Stone. He used the visit to announce new party policy proposals to help "Labour's Lost Generation" - the 16-25 year olds facing rapidly rising levels of unemployment.

Nick Clegg visited a Newcastle council apprenticeship scheme at Newington Road in Sandyford before accompanying Greg to the Newcastle Jobs Fair at St James Park - taking time out to back the Newcastle Gateshead 2018 bid as FIFA officials visited the stadium.

He spoke to the BBC Politics Show and the Guardian at the event, briefing them on the party's new employment policy (see below) and the forthcoming General Election campaign in the North East where the Lib Dems are challenging Labour hard in Newcastle North, Newcastle East, and Durham.

He also spent time meeting employers and jobseekers at the crowded event, learnt about the innovative Newcastle Futures employment project which Greg chairs,

and took the opportunity to discuss armed forces recruitment issues with Army, Navy, and RAF personnel.

Nick will also be speaking to hundreds of people at a "town hall meeting" in Newcastle this evening.

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Labour's Lost Generation

Tackling the Challenge of Youth Unemployment

Thu, 10 Sep 2009

Young people looking for a job would not go more than three months without a right of access to a place in work, training, or education, under plans unveiled by Nick Clegg, Leader of the Liberal Democrats.

The promise forms part of a wider package aimed at getting help to young people more quickly during the recession. Other proposals include:

Funding 10,000 more university places and 50,000 more College-based Foundation Degree places this year.
Introducing a new "Paid Internship" scheme where young people would be able to work for up to 3 months without cost to their employer, while being paid a weekly training allowance of £55. The scheme would allow up to 200,000 young people from less well-off backgrounds to gain valuable experience to improve their skills and enhance their CVs.
Creating a "Green Taskforce" of over 20,000 young people to improve the energy efficiency of millions of homes and public buildings in Britain and make lasting improvements to Britain's transport infrastructure.