By Dave Lord

FAR TOO many Tayside youngsters are moving straight from school to unemployment, a politician has claimed.

While holding up a Dundee youth project as a shining example of good practice, Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser is worried about the “escalating number” of out of work youngsters in Perth and Kinross and Angus.

After listening to a debate in parliament on workforce development, Mr Fraser outlined his concerns.

“Scotland has the worst record for youngsters who are NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training), not just in Europe but in the whole of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD),” he told The Courier.

“There are currently some 35,000 youngsters who find themselves in this position and the situation is getting no better.

“We need to increase access to vocational training at further education colleges for those aged 14 and over and enhance the role of voluntary organisations.”

Mr Fraser believes locals do not to need to look too far for one possible solution.

“We must look to expand the role of community-based charitable institutions,” he says.

“One such group is Fairbridge. I recently had the opportunity of visiting the Dundee project, which is particularly targeted at youngsters not in employment, education or training across Tayside.

“It was clear from some of the youngsters who I met at the Dundee project that they had benefited hugely from the support on offer from this voluntary organisation.

“Fairbridge is just one example of many different groups up and down the country which provide hands-on one to one support for youngsters often from our most disadvantaged communities and from difficult backgrounds.”

Mr Fraser insisted Perth and Kinross and Angus share a lamentable record on NEETs.

“Scotland has too many young people who are classified as NEET,” he said. “Unfortunately, Perth and Kinross and Angus both have a huge proportion.

“In Perth and Kinross, 16% of school leavers in 2003/04 were classified as NEET. That means 234 school leavers of 1463 who left in 2003/04 did not go into employment, education or training.

“Also, for Angus, 15% of school leavers in 2003/04 were classified as NEET, with 206 of the 1373 school leavers not going into employment, education or training.

“These are worrying figures and more must be done to encourage young people who are disengaged with work, training or education to get them involved and active.

“With the worst record in the OECD for NEETS, there is very much that needs to be done.”

He says, “Government at whatever level cannot hope to solve all these problems by itself, but it should be engaging in a new partnership with the voluntary sector to provide new hope to so many disadvantaged youngsters.

“Only then will we see a reduction in the number of NEETs.”