Youth training scheme a failure and a disgrace, Labour says

Up to 60 per cent of young people who attend the Government's Youth Training Scheme have no qualification when they leave, according to a survey published today.

Half of all youth trainees do not find a job at the end of their training and 58 per cent leave early, said Kevin Barron, Labour's spokesman on training.

"One in every two young people have no qualification to show for the training. This isn't a youth training policy; it's a disgrace."

Mr Barron called for an investigation by the Department of Employment into why so many young people were being failed by the system.

"The Government must tackle . . . youth unemployment and lack of skills. Their solution is to force young people on to schemes and deny them benefit if they don't go on."

The department said more than four million 16- and 17-year-olds had benefited from training over the past 12 years, and three out of four leave the scheme to find a job or go into further education and training; 72 per cent gain some form of qualification.