THOUSANDS OF young people who are signing on the Live Register are to be directed towards gaining additional skills and training following a sharp rise in youth unemployment.
Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin said yesterday that she was alarmed by figures that show the number of unemployed under-25 year olds has jumped by 42 per cent to 48,000 in the space of a year.
Significant numbers may be at risk of drifting into long-term unemployment given that 14,500 young people have been on the Live Register for more than six months, while half of this number have been signing on for up to three years.
Ms Hanafin said the Government did not want to see a trend where more young people start depending on welfare payments for their sole income.
She said officials at social welfare offices will spend the summer identifying young people who are eligible to enter education or training schemes in the autumn. This will help improve their skills and future chances in the jobs market, the Minister said.
"Young people today have so many full-time study opportunities available to them - if they didn't complete second-level education first time around, or are looking to gain a recognised university or third level qualification. Now is the time for people to start planning and applying for an education course starting in September," Ms Hanafin said.
Many will be directed towards the "back to education allowance scheme", which allows participants to receive a weekly rate of payment equivalent to their welfare payment while they are back in either second or third level education.
The payment is not means tested. There is also an additional €500 paid to participants at the start of the academic year.
