'No jobs' for unemployed South Yorkshire youths

A centre that helps young people get into employment says its funding is at risk because it is struggling to find them jobs.

New figures show UK youth unemployment has reached a record high of 991,000.

Youth Association South Yorkshire helps teenagers work on CVs and application forms and shows them how to job search.

Tutor Angela Dennis said there were "no jobs" for young people. The government said there were more than 6,000 vacancies in the county.

The centre's funding, which comes from sources including local authorities and the government, is dependent on its success in getting young people into work.

One unemployed teenager who sought help from the centre, Shaquiela, said: "It's getting to that point where there's no jobs and there's nowhere to look.

"Everywhere I am looking they want experience."

Work academies

Mrs Dennis said: "We work with them for 12 weeks at a time but we usually find they're coming back again and again and again.

"It's funded and the funding continues if we get progressions, so these young people need to progress into a job, but there's no jobs out there for these young people.

"The disheartening thing is we're giving them all the tools to be able to go out there... but then there's no jobs for them to get."

Official data from the Office for National Statistics has revealed that the number of 16 to 24-year-olds out of work in the UK has reached 991,000.

The Department for Work and Pensions said there were currently more than 6,300 unfilled job vacancies being advertised by the Jobcentre in South Yorkshire.

The government is launching work academies offering training and a guaranteed job interview to up to 50,000 people nationwide.

Employment Minister Chris Grayling said that coupled with the Work Programme and the Work Experience scheme, the new work academies will support up to 150,000 young people over the next few months and 250,000 over the next two years.