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Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec

‘Real' apprenticeships will guard against further job losses for British youngsters

Unemployed young British workers must be provided with high-quality training or apprenticeship opportunities to stop new waves of eastern European migration exacerbating an already dire employment situation in the UK warned a leading entrepreneur today

Unemployed young British workers must be provided with high-quality training or apprenticeship opportunities to stop new waves of eastern European migration exacerbating an already dire employment situation in the UK warned a leading entrepreneur today.

"More than 20% of the under 24 year-olds in this country are without employment or training at the moment. That is a dire situation that this country cannot afford but it will be made worse by an influx of Romanian and Bulgarian migrants," said Will Davies, MD of property maintenance and refurbishment company aspect.co.uk

"At the moment, if an eastern European is interviewed for a job and he has completed a full apprenticeship, as many of them will have, then our young long-term unemployed will have no chance of success," he said.

The Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged this week to cut annual migration to less than 100,000 and the British Social Attitudes Survey has reported that three quarters of the populace wants immigration cut.

The survey found that half of respondents thought immigration was bad for the economy and of the 31% who didn't, more than half wanted immigration curbed anyway.

"There can be no doubt that the work ethic of Eastern European migrants has had a beneficial effect on our British work force. Home grown workers have found themselves having to up their game to compete but we must guard against British youngsters losing further ground against more skilled and experienced eastern Europeans," said Mr Davies.

Mr Davies is a long-time campaigner for the return of old fashioned, ‘real' apprenticeships as the best way to train young workers.

aspect.co.uk has developed a system of boot camps to recruit youngsters for their apprenticeship schemes.