Business Must Fill Gap in Youth Employment and Training Left by the Coalition or Face More Riots - say Birmingham Lawyers

BIRMINGHAM, England, September 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

As the Lib Dem conference opens in Birmingham today local legal services firm DBS Law is calling for the business community to fill the gap in youth employment and youth services left by coalition policies.

The call from DBS Law comes after the riots in August damaged many businesses and tarnished the city's reputation as an attractive area for foreign investment.

The West Midlands has higher unemployment than any other region of the country with parts of Birmingham showing rates over 11%.  Of the city's 16-24 year olds 20% are out of work. The cuts in public services are set to be amongst the deepest too and DBS Law fear this is a recipe for further damaging unrest in the region in the future.

DBS Law Managing Director Rob Bhol said, "We have a major problem with youth unemployment in our region, the long term cost for business could be astronomical. It's important the business community step up to elevate this crisis with jobs, apprenticeships and funding of development programmes in the absence of Government help."

DBS Law is currently sponsoring a twelve week course run by the Prince's Trust designed to show unemployed youngsters from the West Midlands that far from being powerless they can achieve great things.  DBS Law funded the project as part of its community outreach programme DBS Heart.

The course prepares the youngsters for job and college applications.  It helps them with communications, builds their confidence and teaches them the value of teamwork. The course includes a community project and concludes with a two week work placement in a local business.

Rob Bhol said, "We met the guys at the beginning of the course and they all had issues with self-esteem and with communication. At the end and particularly after completing their community work renovating a recreation area at a local school they were filled with confidence and pride and justifiably so. 

"Anybody who has anything negative to say about young people today should have a chat with this team; they are brave, selfless and decent and given a chance by local businesses more young people can show their potential too."

Note to editors: The Prince's Trust development course is run by seconded police officer Mark Cooke who was recalled to service during the riots in Birmingham.  DBS Law is based in Broad Street the Conference Centre. Interviews with course participants and leaders can be arranged through DBS Law.