- Conference
- 2012 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 1 January 2012
- Decision
- Carried
Conference believes that young people are amongst those most likely to suffer as a consequence of the damaging policies pursued by the Tory-led government.
In particular, Conference condemns the shameful record of the government on youth unemployment with more than a million young people now out of work, the highest number since records began. These people are our future and Conference is appalled at the prospect of a generation being condemned to joblessness as soon as they leave full-time education.
At the same time, vital services designed to get young people out of benefits and into work are being destroyed. Careers guidance workers such as those in Connexions services are being sacked. Academics are issuing urgent warnings that we are at risk of creating a lost generation, building up a huge time bomb of social unrest and personal misery.
Conference believes it was a serious mistake to cancel the Future Jobs Fund, which was at least a step in the right direction. The proposed Youth Contract is a pale imitation of the Future Jobs Fund. All other adult education and training provision has been cut to prioritise apprenticeship starts. Whilst apprentice numbers have grown, Conference remains concerned about pay and conditions for apprentices, completion rates, training quality and whether permanent jobs are available at the end.
As doctors throughout the country report a surge in mental illness among our young, the government claims that its publicised £1.4 billion investment in apprenticeships will address the problem.
Conference believes that this level of funding is wholly inadequate to turn round this employment crisis. The government said its plans would create almost 500,000 apprenticeships in its first two years of office. In fact only 10,000 new apprenticeships have been created – just two per cent of the target.
Conference deplores the cuts in education at all levels, which will have a disastrous impact both now and in the long-term. In addition young people are more likely to acquire debt burdens in both further education and higher education to study for qualifications. Participation has dropped with the abolition of Education Maintenance Allowances and increases in fees.
Conference also denounces the cuts to Connexions and careers services, which are taking place at a time when those services are needed more than ever and when the government is allegedly promoting social mobility. Youth Centres and Services have also seen cuts and Conference welcomes UNISON’s substantial involvement in the Choose Youth Coalition.
Conference urges UNISON at every level to campaign and negotiate to achieve the following:
1) genuine and high-quality training and education in the public and private sectors with adequate grants and pay for the young people involved;
2) fight to protect services specifically designed to help young people into work, especially those who are hard to reach;
3) make every effort to recruit and engage young people in UNISON, including explaining what our movement does for working people, their families and public services, by visiting and speaking to them in our schools and further and higher education colleges;
4) provide appropriate training and education, including political education, for our young members and activists.
Conference therefore calls upon the National Executive Council to:
a) continue campaigning against cuts to the jobs, services and education of our young people;
b) encourage young workers to join UNISON in order to build strength for campaigning against these attacks; and
c) ensure that the protection of our young people remains an important part of the Million Voices campaign.