Chloe to lead debate on young jobseekers

Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North, will today lead a debate in Parliament on young job seekers and the Department for Work and Pensions.

In her speech Chloe will say:

“The unemployment rate for those aged 16 to 24 has consistently been higher than for older age groups.

“Between six and seven hundred thousand young people are looking for a chance.

“How best to help young people?  Firstly, grow the economy.  Secondly, make connections.  Thirdly, share good ideas.”

Preceding today’s debate in Parliament was a digital debate held last night via twitter. The aim being to give the public a say in what is being debated in Westminster Hall, provide a useful resource for MPs taking part in the debate, and so inform the debate and raise its public profile.

The recurring theme was that Job Centres need to become more positive in their approach. This follows on from research by the YMCA which criticised the service provided to young jobseekers by Job Centres.

By contrast, in Norwich the Norwich for Jobs project has worked in partnership with the Job Centre and numerous other local organisations to successfully half youth unemployment in the city.

Commenting on this record Chloe said:

“When I set up the Norwich for Jobs project we set a goal of halving youth unemployment in the city in two years. We beat this target and I am confident that we have a model which can be rolled out across other constituencies as well.

“This is about encouraging local employers to create opportunities, connecting young people with those jobs, and focusing the community on a common goal.”