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Recession hits young offenders
WIGAN’S young offenders are struggling to find jobs and reintegrate themselves into the community because of the recession.
Figures shown to Wigan Council’s children, young people and families scrutiny committee show that the authority is falling behind its targets to get sufficient numbers of young offenders into full-time work once they have done their time.
The number of school-age young offenders in Education, Training and Employment (ETE) in Wigan fell by 10 per cent in the first quarter of 2011/12 compared to the same time the previous year, with a fall from 67.4 per cent to 54.3 per cent in the second quarters of 2010/11 and 2011/12,
The number of post-school age offenders in ETE fell by 13 per cent in the first quarter of 2011/12 compared to the previous year, but there was a significant rise in the second quarter, up to 55.3 per cent in 2011/12 from just 35 per cent in 2010/11.
Out of 35 school-age offenders, 19 were in full-time education, training or employment, while there were 21 post-school offenders in ETE out of a group of 38 in the second quarter of 2011/12.
Overall the total number of young offenders successfully finding full-time work or education fell by 11.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2011/12 from the same time the previous year, but rose slightly in the second quarter, from 51.8 per cent to 54.8 per cent.
Wigan also remains well behind the North West average of 71.6 per cent and the national average of 72.8 per cent for young offenders accessing further opportunities after release, with 61.4 per cent in ETE in the borough between April 2010 and March 2011.
Head of the early intervention and prevention service Sue Astbury acknowledged Wigan was facing a tough task to get young offenders into work during the economic downturn.
She said: “The figures demonstrate that the performance compared to other areas, in terms of reaching targets, is not as strong as it could be.
“We have been making good progress but taken a downturn this year, which is not surprising given the economic situation and is in line with other areas.
“We are not dealing with people on the edge of crime, but with people coming from backgrounds where there is offending in the family, where unemployment is generational, and young people have complex issues, often involving alcohol and drugs.”
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Friday 25 May 2012
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Comments
There are 16 comments to this article
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JemmyH
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 08:15 PMWigal has the wrong idea. Understandable, because she's a young person, inexperienced in life. ......... This is what she said - ........................................................................................................................ "Unemployed because they don't have experience or there are no jobs available that are part time, thus allowing them to study a fullpart time course at college or uni. Some of these people came out of university with degrees and STILL couldn't get a job. Myself and A LOT of young people I know have done everything 'right'. Got the GCSEs went to college, went to uni, stayed out of trouble,". ..................................................................................................................... What she doesn't understand is that there is always work to be had. The sad fact is that the youth 'of today' don't want it ...... because ........ they've 'got the GCSEs' 'been to college' 'been to 'Uni' 'got a qualification' in some worthless, non academic subject. This makes them 'think' they are above 'ordinary' work. ......... The youth 'of today' need to understand that Great Britain isn't run by people with 'GCSEs' or a 'degree in sports science'. SOMEONE has to get their hands dirty for a living wage. Let it be YOU. Gain experience and progress from there.
Wigal
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 02:33 PMHaha yes you're quite right Dilbert. After reading the article again properly (unfortunately I only decided to do this AFTER posting my comment) I realised I'd done it again - saddled up my high horse and jumped on before knowing the full story. I get a bit defensive whenever I see the words 'youth' and 'unemployment' in the same headline, because I know as soon as I scroll to the comments at the bottom it'll be the same old 'oh young people are lazy' etc etc but it wasn't the case this time!
phillykenny
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 09:49 PMi wonder if there are any job vacancies outthere who require such skills as smoking and drinking on street corners,kicking wing mirrors off cars,riding motor bikes down the main road with three people on with no helmets,kicking in shop doorways,beating old people up,throwing empty pizza boxes in front gardens,having sex on the bonnet of my car whilst drunk,because if there are then wigan has a unlimited source of potential applicants who could fill these roles with out a problem
Baron Von Thunderclap
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 08:22 PMI'll probably upset a lot of people here but if people who are unemployed had any sense, they would tell a prospective employer any old cobblers to get a job, including covering up criminal convictions and embellishing qualificationsexperience. The fact is that most employers do not have the resources to do anything more than the most basic of checks. I should know - I've been doing this for years and years.
Dilbert
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 07:40 PMWigal, nice rant - but haven't you got the wrong end of the stick here? This story is about young offenders - not those who you believe have "done everything right".
Fingolfin
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 07:21 PMEveryone deserves a second chance, but if it comes down to it, job for the youngster with the clean record first.
Peawapp
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 06:05 PMSorry, i mean well said wigal
Peawapp
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 06:04 PMWekk said Wigal
Wigal
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 05:10 PMSorry but no. I am SICK of reading people making comments about how young people 'these days' don't want to work and that we're lazy, good for nothing, disrespectul scum. I know people my age who have been unemployed literally years. Unemployed because they don't have experience or there are no jobs available that are part time, thus allowing them to study a fullpart time course at college or uni. Some of these people came out of university with degrees and STILL couldn't get a job. Myself and A LOT of young people I know have done everything 'right'. Got the GCSEs went to college, went to uni, stayed out of trouble, and these lot get to act like little sh!ts, spend a few years in prison and then come out to have everything handed to them on a plate. These people bring my generation down and make us all look like scum bags, when it simply is not the case.
working for EU and IMF Greece needs all our cash
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 04:05 PMdepending on the crime the youth has committed, would a prospective employer take them on. a thief with access to the shop till ? i would think not, or valuable stock. life hard enough for a clean youngster with no criminal record to get work experience. there's not much difference to when i was once one off maggie's millions YOP then a YTS waste of time and money just cheap labour for large firms that got rid off you after 6 months and £10 extra per week in your benefits. i left the country too gain experience and worked abroad which left me in good stead and have never drawn any benefits since been back worth mentioning. unless your lucky, you have too work and put the hours in because nobody gives you nothing for free, and kids these days demand everything for no effort or sweat. and they can't get there hands dirty.
Jaykay1706
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 03:54 PMTough
ritchy
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 03:36 PMand have to work
ritchy
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 03:36 PMctd after 6 months stop giving them money and you will see a drop in unemployment as they are not getting free money anymore
ritchy
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 03:30 PM1st stop being criminals then life might be a bit fairer on you , 2 world wake up to the fact that a lot of todays youth just want to get drunk or off their head on money they aint earned,deserve or should be entitled to 3 goverment open your eyes to the fact its your fault for letting this happen if after 6 months you cant find a job 9 times out of 10 its because they think im not lowering myself to basic factory jobs or other non glamourous employment but you will draw dole . lazy lazy lazy lazy
greenfingers
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 10:39 AMSo why don't we make some law abiding young people redundant so these poor hard done by mummy and daddys children feel they are not been picked on. Seriously work them for nothing till they have paid back every penny it cost to keep them banged up .
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