We Must Demand Cohesion From Executive To Tackle Youth Unemployment - SDLP

SDLP Employment and Learning Spokesperson Pat Ramsey has taken officials from the Department of Employment and Learning to task for their failure to show cross-departmental leadership on strategies for young people not in education, employment or training.

The Foyle MLA said: "I am increasingly angry at the failure of the Department to grasp the point that the DEL Committee and I have been making for months: that it needs to take the lead on the NEETs Strategy and bring other relevant departments on board in order to make a tangible effort to tackle youth unemployment.

"It is now well over a year since the Committee produced their inquiry into the issues around why young people fall into the NEET category and despite my efforts to secure assurances from Departmental officials and the Minister, it is obvious that no real cross-departmental provision is in place to address this hugely important issue.

"The Executive must make youth unemployment in particular a key issue and I will continue to insist that DEL lives up to its responsibilities when the Minister comes before the Committee again in the coming weeks."

(CD)