Further council funding cuts will put thousands of youngsters’ “promising futures” at risk, say town hall bosses.
A Local Government Association survey of councils in England, says 90% have cut services for teenagers not in education, employment and training.
Local authorities have seen funding cuts of 40% since 2010, and their responsibility for careers advice and further education has been removed. The government said the teenage Neet rate was now 64,000 lower than in 2010.
And it highlighted that it is investing £7bn “to fund a place for every 16- to 18-year-old in England who wants one”. Since 2012, local councils in England have no longer had control over careers advice, which has switched to schools.
Local authority-run Connexions services were one of the first areas to be cut under the previous coalition government. Councils have also lost control of post-16 education and schemes to tackle young people’s disengagement. Read more
