School leavers face a competitive work environment, and finding employment, particularly in rural areas, can be a huge challenge. In the Department of Work and Pensions Questions on Monday, George Freeman MP championed the Norfolk Way Work Club, launched in October this year, and the great work it has been doing in bringing together aspiring young people and local businesses.

George Freeman (Mid Norfolk) (Con): The scandalously high rate of youth unemployment was perhaps one of the previous Government’s worst legacies, and my constituents warmly welcome the creation of 1 million new jobs and 600,000 apprenticeships. Does the Secretary of State agree that in rural areas young jobseekers face particular challenges in accessing small, fast-growing companies in the rural economy, and will he join me in supporting the local voluntary big society initiative launched by The Norfolk Way—it started a work club and enterprise bursary in which local entrepreneurs support jobseekers—in Mid Norfolk last week?

Mr Duncan Smith: I pay tribute to the work that my hon. Friend does in his area. I absolutely agree with and support what he says. It is really interesting that youth unemployment was rising in the previous Government’s last six years, even in a time of growth. They fiddled with the figures so that anybody who was unemployed for more than 10 months went on a course; most of them ended up returning to unemployment, where they started from zero again. The then Government deliberately and falsely capped the figure. We are honest about it and tell the truth.

Further details on the Norfolk Way Work Club can be found here

For more information on the Norfolk Way you can visit the website

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