'Lost generation' - 'It is too early to write off our teenagers'

And the outlook is indeed bleak for many of our young people.

Across the country, we are facing the highest jobless rate among 18 to 24-year-olds for at least 20 years, at 20.5 per cent.

Surprisingly, we learn today that school leavers in Edinburgh are more likely to fall into the miserable hole labelled NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) than those anywhere else in Scotland - a fate suffered by almost 600 city teenagers last year.

Their plight certainly throws new light on the political wrangling that has taken place in recent days over apprentice places.

Their future has to be a major point of debate between the parties and electorate in the run-up to May's Scottish Parliament elections.

If not enough is done, the public spending cuts and uncertain economic outlook mean the situation can only get worse.

There is a lot of good work already being done to tackle the problem in Edinburgh by charities such as Barnardo's.

With the council's new chief executive Sue Bruce understood to take a keen interest, there may well be new policies to come from city leaders.

It is too early yet to write off hundreds of Edinburgh teenagers as a lost generation - the challenge now is to make sure they do not become that in the years ahead.

Hard road

a good bus service can be almost a lifeline for many people who have no other easy way of getting around.

So it is easy to understand the consternation being felt in Fairmilehead as people discover they are about to lose a much-valued local transport service.

There is no doubt the changes being planned by Lothian Buses will make life harder for many regular passengers there.

Sadly, it is hard to see much that can sensibly be done to help them.

The bus company has to be allowed to run its services along routes that make commercial sense, leaving the city council to subsidise a limited number of non-profitable ones.

And while the cash-strapped council is continuing with its subsidy of around 1 million a year there will be no extra money available.

While other services, albeit poorer ones, continue to serve the community, it will be hard for Fairmilehead to make a case for a share of that cash.