Letter: Fitness test

LABELLING tens of thousands as being "fit to work" although currently on employment and support allowance does not address the lack of jobs.

Slashing benefits if people cannot find jobs and asserting that there is work available is refusing to recognise that there are just 500,000 vacancies in the UK but already two-and-a-half million unemployed who are themselves likely to be job hunting.

The jobs that exist are reportedly at the minimum-wage end and are often part-time. All the unemployed and those assessed correctly as potentially fit to work must be given greater opportunity for, and required to accept if appropriate, new training and updating of skills, including enhanced help with basic literacy and numeracy.

More government - that is taxpayers' - money must, therefore, be pumped into these initiatives, so improving skills should help fill vacancies, but when we read that 22 people may be chasing every job in some areas, it is impossible for all to succeed.

Better support for businesses by, for example, requiring banks to lend more to small and medium-sized enterprises would surely help, but not just wishful exhortations.

Greatly increased modern apprenticeship opportunities for younger people are also needed urgently.

Joe Darby

St Martins Mill

Cullicudden, Dingwall