Jobless Teens Will Have To Pick Up Litter To Get Dole

[lindapalmara]

I know this is contencious amongst the Liberal left on this site but I do think it gives youngsters a work ethic and a feeling of putting something back into society.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2956422/Jobless-teens-pick-litter-dole-Cameron-use-ringer-speech-claim-wrong-receive-handouts-straight-away.html

http://www.nationalheadlines.co.uk/947406/jobless-teens-will-have-to-pick-litter-to-get-dole-cameron-to-use-ringer-speech-to-claim-it-is-wrong-they-can-receive-handouts-straight-away/

[whiskeryron]

Definitely a case of the Lunatics running the Asylum.

[RandyMarsh]

Yep, the teenagers are the problem.

[pastafreak]

//One could retire all the over 50s to free up a lot of job positions for them, if needed//
I hope that was not a serious suggestion. Would it be voluntary redundancy? And what of the over 50s who still want/NEED to work? And will we be throwing all their knowledge and experience away?

[bazwillrun]

"but I do think it gives youngsters a work ethic and a feeling of putting something back into society...."

yeah of course it will...
what planet are you on ?

[mummybee]

Councils already employ litter pickers, surely with free slave labour they will get rid of their paid staff, something that is already happening in retail due to workfare.

[youngmafbog]

Sounds an excellent idea - in principle

[Gromit]

If these young people cannot get jobs, perhaps we could attach numbers to them, and race them?
It would not help them get employment, but it would be entertaining for the taxpayer who are funding them.

[Gromit]

Congratulations to Iain Duncan Smith for trialing the Litter Picking Scheme with these soon to be unemployed MPs.

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/5/5/1273066763421/Chris-Kelly-the-Conservat-006.jpg

[Old_Geezer]

Of course it was a serious suggestion.

No one should need to work after 50 and deprive those younger of their need to provide for themselves and their family. The State should pay enough pension in welfare to live, or it if failing in its social obligations.

And no one throws away any knowledge. The knowledge is passed on to the up & coming generation before one goes; assuming it is still of use in the changing modern world.

This isn't a Blade Runner experience, it is simply the passing over the responsibilities to the next generation. One is still around for advice giving. A taking of ones well earned break after contributing to society. And this has to happen at some time or other, no matter who wants to live & work for ever. It's just a question of when.

I'm sure it would be all voluntary as no one would be so selfish as to want to keep their job position for themselves when others in society need the opportunity to do their bit.

[pastafreak]

And if the system is flooded with still energetic,physically able retirees what will happen if they still need to do work to feel useful and to give back? What % of employers will take on the blue brigade of volunteers...Quite a few I bet. It's certainly cheaper than employing all those youngsters who have yet to gain the necessary skills.
And why should we suddenly dump those who reach 50...55...? There *should* be enough jobs so that anyone who wants work can get it. Create more jobs. Hopefully without sending older folk away on an ice floe.

[douglas9401]

Surely we can all understand that this is an opportunity for somebody, say a friend of Dave who's keen to work hard and do the right thing, to accept a bumper grant to start up a business supervising yoof in need of a steady hand of guidance
The organisation could suck at the teat of Tory largesse for as long as possible, probably till the inevitable scandal breaks, whereupon the well worn phrases such as 'lessons will be learned' and 'this was an arms length organisation' will be trotted out and the friend of Dave will skip off with the money.

[jourdain2]

Re. mummybee's comment. If currently-employed litter-pickers were each allotted 4 'trainees' they could keep an eye on them and assess which were putting their backs into the job - this could go towards a C.V. and help to find a job. Personally, I think that every school-leaver should have a direction; further education; a job; a traineeship (apprenticeship); voluntary work for charities (thereby not filling-in for job-cutting by councils) or (and I may have to run for cover here) National Service in the armed forces. Looks as if we may have need of a larger army anyway.

[ummmm]

It's sad for some because it's often a case of who you know not what you know. My son had a job before he even left school and my daughter got a job without even having an interview.

I don't agree with the national service. It could be character building for some but soul destroying for others.

Things for teens, hopefully, should start improving now they can't leave education until they are 18. Employers prefer employing 18+

[TWR]

I totally agree Linda, there was a program on the other night when this lad turned around & said Easy money, that get my back up, there's a lot of these Chav estates around that want cleaning up, that one last week in Essex for a start.

[tonyav]

They would stand a far better chance of getting a job if British jobs were not advertised across the EU.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/10205511/UK-jobs-being-advertised-across-the-EU-at-taxpayers-expense-it-emerges.html

[Old_Geezer]

No one would be being dumped. If that is how you feel then your own retirement will seem like a nightmare for you. What is happening is that folk are being given their well earned break, whilst others are given their chance to contribute. The older are not more important than the younger.

No one needs paid employment to feel useful. If they feel that they do, then they probably need help. Folk without a job remain useful as sources of knowledge general help. To think otherwise would condemn many housewives and househusbands onto the "useless" pile. And as mentioned, at some point every employed person has to call it a day and retire, it's just a matter of when.

One can not ensure jobs for all. At any one time there are fewer job opportunities than there are people able to fill them, unless one is advocating a regime whereby jobs are made up but have no real value, in order to make folk feel they are creating wealth for the nation. The reality is that those who have a job have to create enough wealth to cover the nation's bills for all citizens. Idealism is nice but we have found no way to ensure jobs for all yet.

[hc4361]

If there is a job to be done then employ somebody to do it and pay at least the minimum wage. I can see people being made redundant and the jobs done for free by unemployed people.

[Hypognosis]

Will there be Death in Service payments when one of them gets run over?
Will there be employer pension contributions?
Will there be employer NI contributions?
What PAYE tax band will they be in?

Every other job in the country is required to fulfil these requirements.

Jobs are jobs, benefits are benefits (a financial apology for the lack of jobs in a locality)
Don't get the two mixed up, Mr Cameron.