Darling calls for more to be spent on employment help

Former Chancellor Alistair Darling has called for more money to be spent on helping get people back into work.

The Labour MP for Edinburgh South West backed calls by opposition councillors in Edinburgh for more funding for employability projects in the city.

He said: “Youth unemployment is a growing problem. The council could do more to help alleviate the problems faced by those leaving school and trying to enter the jobs market.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“By further increasing the funding for employability projects, local unemployment could be lowered, benefits costs reduced, and we would go some way in tackling the worryingly high levels of child poverty in the city.”

The Edinburgh Labour draft manifesto for the May council elections promises to help a growing number of young people without jobs into apprenticeships by increasing the amount spent on employability services to £2.5 million.