Letter from Sue Porto (From Swindon Advertiser)

Letter from Sue Porto

11:22am Tuesday 16th March 2010 in

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IT IS no secret that young people have borne the brunt of this recession, 54,000 16-24-year-olds living in the South West of England are now on the dole.

But it is all too easy to dismiss these young people as a "lost generation". Each one of them has skills and talents that could make a real difference to this country.

The alarming new report from The Prince's Trust and the Citi Foundation reveals that the South West could lose thousands of vital workers - teachers, entrepreneurs and social workers - if we fail to help young people find jobs.

Young people are not only struggling to fulfil their ambitions. More than one in five living in the South West (12,000) are being forced to cut back on essentials such as food and heating. A further 49 per cent worry they'll never have enough money to provide for themselves or their children We can't afford to stifle these young talents now, particularly as we emerge from the longest recession on record. Those with fewest qualifications need our support the most, as they struggle to compete with unemployed graduates flooding the jobs market.

Only by investing in these young people now can we ensure this undiscovered generation isn't lost forever.

SUE PORTO

South West Regional Director

The Prince's Trust

Marsh Street

Bristol