Measures to improve skills and tackle unemployment are paying dividends.
That’s the message from Economic Development Minister Laurence Skelly who says his department has a simple focus. ‘It’s always been about job creation and job security,’ he said.
The island’s unemployment rate fall by a quarter during 2014.
Extra support totalling £300,000 to assist the long term unemployed and programmes to target 16-24 year old NEETs – not in any form of education, employment or training – has seen the numbers of long-term jobless fall by 20 per cent over the past year while youth unemployment has fallen by nearly 25 per cent.
The successful work placement programme, recently expanded to cover all ages, last year provided placements for 100 people, double that in 2012, with 43 moving into employment.
Mr Skelly also stressed the importance of vocational training to avoid skills shortages in key sectors.
He said the DED works closely with the private sector and was continuing to look at new initiatives such as expanding the range of apprenticeships available in financial services, ICT and healthcare.
Vocational training benefits the employer and employee but also the wider economy, he added.