Neets promised 100m under Tory rule

The Tory green paper, Building Skills, Transforming Lives, also promises all schools will have careers advisors and apprenticeship provision will expand significantly.

The Conservatives hope to offer up to 100,000 more apprenticeships each year and small businesses could receive £2,000 in bonuses for taking on trainees on vocational courses.

However, MP John Denham, Labour's Universities and Skills Secretary, said: "Tory plans to increase the number of apprenticeships are less ambitious than Labour plans to create 150,000 new apprenticeships."

Clare Tickell, chief executive at children's charity NCH, also urged caution on the plans and warned that young people need proper support to complete apprenticeships.
She said: "Increasing the number of places on apprenticeships is not enough. In order to truly reach out to those who will most benefit from these programmes it is vital that proper support systems are included in any plans."

Despite this, Susan Anderson, director of skills and education at the Confederation of British Industry, is in favour of the proposals.

She said: "The business world strongly supports these proposals to cut red tape, help more small firms get involved and provide high-quality advice to young people by funding a careers adviser in every school and college."