Andrew Mitchell MP met with the new District Manager of Jobcentre Plus, who has responsibility for Sutton Coldfield, to discuss one of the biggest challenges this country faces, youth unemployment. Sutton’s MP visited the Jobcentre in Sutton Coldfield ahead of the launch of the Government’s Youth Contract to hear about the steps the Jobcentre has taken to ensure extra support and advice is available to help young unemployed people to prepare for work and find a job. The Youth Contract is an ambitious package of support worth almost £1 billion, which complements the successful welfare programmes already introduced by the Coalition Government. It expands the number of work experience placements available and guarantees every young person a job interview. It also provides subsidies which incentivises British businesses to take on up to 160,000 apprentices. Andrew Mitchell MP said, “I was pleased to learn from the new District Manager of Jobcentre Plus that the Sutton Coldfield Jobcentre is committed to redefining the way they engage with young people in my constituency.” “While naturally I want to see my young constituents in paid work, one of the key barriers preventing employers giving young people a job is their lack of work experience. By giving young people the opportunity to get real work experience, the Government has found that 50 per cent of 18-25 year olds move off benefits within three months of completing a placement.” Photo: Andrew Mitchell MP with District Manager David Simms and Senior Operations Manager Richard Smith.