Rural communities hit hard in ‘lost generation’ jobless crisis communities

THE UK’s youth unemployment crisis is hitting rural areas disproportionately hard, with the speed at which young people are falling out of work, education or training rising faster than in towns and cities, a new report has revealed.

A study published this morning by the Government’s own rural watchdog says Ministers are giving “insufficient consideration” to the extra challenges faced by young people in the countryside as they struggle to find work or affordable training during the double-dip recession.

The report by the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) highlights the long distances young people in rural areas have to travel to access job centres, interviews or training courses, and the additional costs involved in places where public transport is often infrequent or non-existent.

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It warns that private sector bodies and charities lack the capacity to step in where public services have been scaled back during the spending squeeze, and that “considerable disparities” now exist in the level of support available to young people.

Dr Stuart Burgess, chairman of the CRC, said: “In producing this report, the Commission for Rural Communities has shone a light on one of the most important issues facing England’s rural areas – the future of its young people.

“The high number of young people NEET (not in employment, education or training) across the country is clearly a matter of considerable concern for young people, communities and policy makers.

“There needs to be a national dialogue over how this affects rural areas, and I hope this report will act as a catalyst for addressing the range of uniquely intractable barriers that young people in rural areas face.”

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The study reveals that the number of young people classed as NEET in rural areas has soared from 84,00 to 123,000 since the economic crash of 2008.

While overall numbers are far higher in urban areas, the rate of increase has actually been greater in the countryside.

With the latest figure of 123,000 representing 13 per cent of the population, the report warns youth unemployment has become “a significant rural issue.”

The Government insists it has recognised the problem, and points to a £165m fund set up last year to help grow the countryside economy.

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The report does praise Ministers for “widening the market” for the provision of public services, which it says has allowed some services to be tailored to meet rural needs.

But it also warns that the sweeping cuts to council budgets initiated in 2010 have hit young people in the countryside hard.

“There are concerns regarding the capacity of private and voluntary and community sector providers to fill the gap,” the report states.

Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith said the long distances young people in rural areas have to travel even to get to a job centre highlights the difficulties they face on a day-to-day basis.

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“The transport issue is certainly a very big deal,” he said.

“I would like to see more outreach work from the job centre in places like Ripon, to bring the employers and the young people together.

“It’s important to remember the jobs figures in North Yorkshire are not as bad as in urban areas, and I do think the work is out there – it’s about bringing it all together.”

The Government says it is taking a two-pronged approach to tackling youth unemployment, with its Youth Contract programme designed to help young people back into work operating alongside measures to grow the economy.

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A spokeswoman for the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: “The Government’s £126m Youth Contract will target young people who are not in education, employment or training, to help them overcome some of the barriers they face in getting jobs.

“We are aware that businesses in rural areas not only face the same problems as urban areas, but also have their own set of unique challenges. That’s why Defra has committed to investing £165m to create jobs and help build businesses in remote areas.”

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