Dorset short of qualified young people (From Bournemouth Echo)

Dorset short of qualified young people

8:00am Thursday 4th March 2010 in

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DORSET has more unqualified young people than the national average, latest figures have revealed.

The local authority area has 4,700 16-24-year-olds – 12.9 per cent – who do not have any qualifications, according to a study by the University and College Union.

Neighbouring Poole and Bournemouth have less than the national average of 11.5 per cent at 10.9 per cent and seven per cent respectively.

The figures were released on the eve of a national conference organised by the UCU to highlight the difficulties faced by those not in education, employment or training, known as NEETs.

Research has shown that those without any qualifications are four times more likely to be out of work than those who have at least one A level.

The UCU said the complicated way in which further education is funded may be putting people off getting qualifications.

“The current funding streams for further education are a complete minefield and impossible to navigate. It’s as if the system has been designed deliberately to put people off,” said UCU general secretary Sally Hunt. “The country cannot afford a lost generation of young people.”

A spokesman for Dorset County Council said: “We want all young people to be able to reach their full potential.

“Last year 99.2 per cent of Year 11 leavers in Dorset achieved at least one GCSE.”