MCCROSSAN: BLEAK PROSPECTS FOR STRABANE YOUTH!!

SDLP Constituency Representative Daniel McCrossan has expressed his concerns for the futures of fellow Strabane youth!!

The current economic downturn continues to severely impact upon job opportunities for youth across Northern Ireland. Figures released in recent weeks suggest that one in four young people (22.3%) will struggle to find any form of employment.

Daniel McCrossan SDLP Constituency Representative said, “I am deeply concerned that the young people of Strabane and the wider region are at risk of becoming a lost generation. The youth unemployment figures which were released last month have proven extremely worrying for all our young people as youth unemployment surges to its highest in 16 years.

The disturbing unemployment reality comes as many students received their A-level/GCSE results over the summer months. A large number of students from across the District were faced with the daunting task of making decisions on their futures.

A survey carried out by the SDLP youth council illustrated the thinking of our young people at this time. Many young Strabane people felt they had only three options which were, to stay in education for as long as possible, immigrate to another country or join the ever growing dole Queue.  Even those options have significant limitations, financially. 

Strabane SDLP Youth spokesperson, Shane McLaughlin said ‘the youth of our district fear incredibly for their futures and are in need of support now. The results of our survey proved a real eye opener as many young people see no way forward in Northern Ireland at the present moment in time. One participant aged 18 said “I failed to get into University in Northern Ireland due to the large demands for places to NI universities by those who want to avoid the financially slaughtering levels of tuition fees to England universities at £9000 per year. This is a huge risk with little guarantee of employment in the future. When is the Northern Ireland Executive going to provide answers to the many disillusioned youth out there?”

Mr McCrossan continued, at present there are 22000 young people unemployed according to the figures released by the Department of Enterprise, trade and investment. 18,877, 18-24 year olds are claiming benefits.

At the present moment in time, there is a genuine concern that the young people of today are at risk of never being freed from long term unemployment. We now have people with degrees, skills and qualifications in the same predicament as those with no skills and little qualifications. The only difference being the debt which comes with the degree students. 

It is my generation, younger and older, the youth of Strabane, the youth of this region who are suffering the consequences of the economic recession. Tuition fees, welfare cuts, little job opportunities are all slapping the faces of our young people today.

SDLP MLA Joe Byrne said ““Far too many young people in the Strabane area have no prospects of work, even the well qualified are suffering.

 “There must be measures put in place to prevent another generation of young people in Strabane viewing immigration as the only escape route to a life on the dole and a life with limited opportunity,” he said.