Labour’s plan to get young people in training instead of on benefits

John Healey MP has backed Labour’s plans to get more young people in Rotherham and Barnsley the training and skills they need to get a decent job and succeed in life.

Too many local young people leave school without the qualifications they need to find decent work, setting them on a path of low-paid work and claiming benefits.

That’s why the next Labour government will equip young people with the skills and training they need to get a decent job and end entitlement to adult benefits for young people aged 18-21, unless they have good qualifications or work experience. We’ll also reform the social security system so it’s fair and affordable by rewarding those that contribute throughout their lives.

John said: “I’ve spoken to many young people in Rotherham and Barnsley who’ve told me they are fed up with the lack of job opportunities under this government.

“While the path from school to work via university is well established, our current institutions fail to provide an effective bridge between school and work for those who don’t go into higher education. This waste of potential is bad for Rotherham and Barnsley, bad for Britain and bad for the young people themselves.

“That’s why I’m backing Labour’s plans to make our social security system fairer, and to give young people in our area the skills they need to get a decent job and get ahead in life. Otherwise too many face a wasted cycle of low-paid work and claiming benefits.”