This week, Labor has announced a $21 million pilot program which will connect young people to work experience and jobs.

Jim Chalmers MP, the Member for Rankin, said the Youth Jobs Connect program would help address the problem of 24.8 per cent of young people out of work in Logan.

“With almost one in four young people out of work in Logan, I’m worried that a whole generation will be at risk of a life-long employment disadvantage.” Jim Chalmers said.

“Labor’s Youth Jobs Connect will help young people get the skills and training they need to find and keep a job by working with local employers.”

Mentoring and training in core employability skills, along with basic literacy and numeracy when needed, will help young people find and keep a job.

“The Abbott Government has not presented a plan for jobs for Australians,” said Jim Chalmers.

In the last Budget, the Abbott Government discontinued the Youth Connections program, halted the announcements of new Trade Training Centres and tried to cut Newstart, so that unemployed people under 30 would be forced to live for six months without any income.

“The Liberal Government would rather sentence young people to a cycle of poverty than invest in the skills they need to find and keep a job,” said Jim Chalmers.

For more information please visit: www.alp.org.au/youth_jobs_connect