Can the Land Based Industry help the 1 million Youth Unemployment?

18/11/2011 - With the recent announcement that one million youngsters aged 16 to 24 years old are out of work. The question from David Whyte of Horticultural Landscape Solutions is; can the Land Based Industry help by taking on more apprenticeships or back to work schemes?

 

It is a shocking statistic when you hear how many of our young are out of work. I have looked at this and wonder if the Land Based Industry can help to provide opportunities to some of these youngsters.

Unfortunately many of the grants and funding that were widely available have either gone or are being slowly phased out. So what could be the next move? There is no doubt that times are hard at the moment, and every aspect of the business is being squeezed and stretched just to get by. However, is this the silver lining? Possibly with sponsorship from industry there could be opportunity to inject fresh new blood into the range of options that the Land Based Sector offers.

Many are already facing daunting high costs of university fees and the debt that will follow, and are understandably looking to alternative options.

Through my own business carrying out training and assessments, there is still a hunger and an enthusiasm by the youngsters I work with. We need to keep hold of that and hopefully add fuel to that by opening our doors to a few more and giving them opportunities that may well open their eyes and get a real clear understanding of the importance that our work brings to the country.

So come on, lets grasp this opportunity and take it with both hands!!