Greens propose two-year jobs guarantee for young people

The Green Party has proposed offering young people a guaranteed two-year job within four months of leaving education or training. Co-deputy leader Mothin Ali announced the plan at the party’s conference in Brighton. [1]

The jobs would be with private-sector employers, with the government paying half the salary. Employers would be exempt from National Insurance contributions but required to provide training on the job. The Greens argue that the scheme would reduce welfare spending and increase tax receipts. [1]

The proposal comes as the number of 16- to 24-year-olds not in employment, education or training has risen to almost one million, the BBC reported. The BBC describes the government’s existing scheme as subsidising six-month placements for benefit claimants who have spent 18 months looking for work. [1]