Speech to Labour Conference 2012

Below is the text of my speech to conference on Youth Employment.   I didn't get called in the main economy debate, but got most of the points into some of the smaller policy forum discussions and seminars.

 

Colleagues.

Amongst all the talk of deficits and bad bankers, the real scandal of the coalition’s cuts is the impact on the lives and hopes of a generation of young people.

1 in 4 of 16- to 24-year-olds are out of work.

In Scotland, 7,400 young people have been claiming unemployment benefit for more than a year.

And in the Highlands 5 unemployed people are chasing every job vacancy.

These aren’t just statistics. 

They mean that the hopes and aspirations of a generation of young people are being destroyed by worklessness in their teens and twenties.

People need to know that Labour is on their side when it comes to jobs and young people.

Because the other parties aren’t.

The LibDems promise with one hand then cut with the other.

Scrapping EMAs and replacing them with a pupil premium that is anything but.

The SNP talk the language of growth and investment, but their actions are all about avoiding the difficult decisions.

The SNP say no to tuition fees in Scotland.

But they won’t tell you that the resulting cuts to college budgets mean 10,000 youngsters on waiting lists for places. 

Places where they could learn the skills needed for real jobs.

We must be the party with the vision and commitment to ensure every teenager who wants to work has a job or apprenticeship when they leave school or college.

Jobs come from economic growth and we need a business strategy that is joined up where it matters.

In the highlands, that means making sure investment in wind and wave renewables creates jobs and not just profit for the energy companies.

But we need to give our kids the confidence to look at other options as well.

There is a key role for the third sector, supporting young people into work in different ways.

In Scotland, the Social Enterprise Academy is winning awards for its programmes in schools.

I met one of the tutors from these courses in Inverness last week.

She told me about the transformation in the kids she worked with. 

You can imagine the scene.   10 sulky sixteen year olds.

Heads down, arms crossed, “not bovvered”

Beaten by the system before they’ve started …..

After three days turned into engaged young people, full of enthusiasm, self esteem and confidence to achieve.

Thinking about setting up their own social enterprises, creating jobs in their own communities

So all sorts of programmes can have a big impact.

But we need to fund them properly and with long term certainty.

Above all, we need to be bold and see the big picture.                                         

The public sector in Scotland spends £9bn buying in goods and services.  We need to start using that power. 

We need to get smart about buying.

Using community benefit clauses to keep jobs local and create apprenticeships and training opportunities for our young people.

And sending out a clear message to contractors.

If you want to provide goods and services to our councils, then you’ll support local jobs and pay your workers a Living Wage!

Labour must be the party that makes creating jobs and getting our kids back to work a priority.

A labour government in Holyrood and a Labour Government in Westminster, working together to get our kids into work.

That’s why with Labour we will always be better together.

Thank you, conference.