Careers:TOPICS

No one leaving school in 1980 need be without work or training because there will be a place for all jobless school leavers on this year's bigger Youth Opportunities Programme. The Government is expanding YOP for 1980/81 to provide places for up to 260,000 young people because it recognises that YOP works, is helping in the fight against unemployment, and is a very good bargain for the taxpayer. We will repeat our undertaking to offer all 1980 school leavers, still unemployed by Easter 1981, a place on the Programme; and we will also offer a place to all young people who have been unemployed for a year. We will increase our support for those managing and supervising YOP schemes to improve the content and quality of the Programme. We must also begin to pay particular attention to the growing numbers of those over 19 who are outside the Programme, and we must pass on to those preparing young people in schools for working life the lessons we have learned, and are learning, from YOP.