Commenting on new figures published yesterday morning showing a further rise in the number of 19-24 year olds in Wales who are not in employment, education or training, Angela Burns AM, Shadow Minister for Education, said:
“These latest figures show that under Labour, almost a fifth of 19 to 24 year olds are economically inactive and are also missing out on the chance to gain vital work-based skills.
“These figures show a continuing rise in the number of young people in Wales who are missing out on what should be the formative years of their career, threatening to trap them a cycle of deprivation.
“Employment and education, often through work-based training, represent the easiest route out of poverty and unless we can encourage young people on to a path of economic prosperity, people in Wales will remain amongst the poorest in the UK.
“Turning around the rise in NEETs will be more challenging in Wales due to Labour’s cuts to adult education courses and Labour’s refusal to actively encourage entrepreneurship in schools and colleges as a source of employment.”
