Latest figures show that of the 137,000 rise in unemployment in the three months to October 2009, 55,000, or 40%, were in the 18-24 age bracket. While the country's overall jobless rate is currently 6%, among 18-24-year-olds it is 14% and among 16-17-year-olds it is 26% (Seager, 2009)
26% is a staggering percentage of 16-17 year olds that are no longer receiving an education, training, apprenticeship or employed full time, you have to wonder "What are they doing?", could this surge of youth unemployment be simply because school no longer becomes compulsory, is it just a growing trend? your mates left school so ill leave too attitude. Perhaps this age demographic doesn't have the life skills, drive or maturity to compete for jobs in the work force and hanging out with friends while reaping government benefits is the real appeal to leaving school, It is this culture that Gordon Brown hopes to target with this new legislation. Seen this way, culture is not simply the relation we enter when we highlight rituals, meaning and language. Rather culture is a assemblage of themes, a whole architecture whereby social life itself finds its expressions and possibilities (Leonardo, 2010).
The governments current initiative legislation that would see that all 16 and 17 year-olds remain in school, training or an apprenticeship until they are 18, but that only applies to children who turn 11 this year, and so does not effectively start for another five years (Seager, 2009).
http://gu.com/p/2mg3e
Leonardo, Z (Ed.), Handbook of Cultural Politics and Education (pp.49-70),
Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
Ashley Seager: The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jan/05/school-leaving-age?INTCMP=SRCH
Dear Lisa,
ReplyDeleteThis is a very relevant topic, however, you need to substantiate your discussion through reference to the academic literature. For example, what does this suggest about the role of education and unemployment?
Regards,
Kal