Greens propose two-year jobs for unemployed under-24s
BBC News reports on a new proposal from the Green Party: to offer guaranteed two-year jobs within four months of leaving education or training for young people aged under 24 who are unemployed or not in education or training.
Mothin Ali, co-deputy leader of the Green Party, unveiled this policy at the party's conference in Brighton, highlighting the situation of a million "bored, desperate and lost" young people with limited job prospects.
Under the scheme, youngsters would be placed in private sector roles, with the government covering half of their salary. The party has not specified a budget but claims it would reduce welfare spending and generate tax revenue from employment.
Initially, the Greens aim to target areas with the fewest job openings for young people, such as Rotherham, Ceredigion, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Broxtowe, and South Staffordshire, before rolling out the program nationwide. Employers would be exempt from National Insurance contributions but would be required to provide in-job training.
Ali criticized the government's existing scheme, which offers six-month job placements for long-term benefit claimants, stating that threatening young people with cuts to Universal Credit if they refuse such placements is not a viable youth strategy.
The Green Party's proposal aims to provide a more substantial opportunity for young people to realize their dreams, arguing that working-class kids should have a genuine chance to make their aspirations a reality.
Figure highlights:
- Almost one million 16-24-year-olds are not in employment, education, or training, a rising trend since the COVID pandemic.
- A report by former Labour minister Alan Milburn, expected this autumn, will further explore this issue.
Greens advocate for public ownership of water companies
In her conference speech, Rachel Millward, co-deputy leader of the Green Party, called for the immediate nationalization of Thames Water and South East Water, arguing that it can be done without compensating shareholders. She criticized Prime Minister Andy Burnham's approach to water control as inadequate and suggested that direct public ownership is the solution.
South East Water responded by emphasizing their ongoing investments in infrastructure and resilience, stating their commitment to serving communities.