Michael Moore calls for boost to Scottish work experience initiative

The Scottish Secretary has called for employers to help expand a government work experience programme to tackle youth unemployment.

Michael Moore wants an extra 500 placements on top of more than 2,000 already established in Scotland since April last year.

Some of the coalition government’s work experience programmes have been branded “slave labour” recently over the impact on the benefit claims of participants do not complete them. Firms such as Tesco have even pulled out.

But, at a major convention on youth unemployment in Dundee yesterday, Mr Moore appealed for 500 more placements to be created as the spiralling level of jobless youngsters across Scotland tops 100,000.

Mr Moore was among key political figures at yesterday’s convention, including the Scottish Government’s finance secretary John Swinney and youth unemployment minister Angela Constance, as well as Westminster work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith.

It was announced that those who have been out of work for three months or more will be eligible for 50 per cent discount on ScotRail services within Scotland to help them get to interviews or training,

Mr Moore said: “Youth unemployment can appear to have more questions than answers, but we can achieve more together than apart.”

He highlighted the Youth Contract, which gives Scottish employers access of up to £2,275 in wage incentives for each 18 to 24-year-old employed for at least 26 weeks from the UK Government work programme.

He said: “The provision of bona fide long-term jobs is our prime goal.

“The Government Work Experience programme has created over 2,000 placements in Scotland since last April. As a direct outcome of today’s event, I would like to ask employers to help me create a further 500 work experience placements.”