The government has commited to providing a job or a training place with extra money on top of benefits for those in training for all under-25s from January in the Budget. 

However, The Age and Employment Network’s (TAEN) chief executive, Chris Ball, accused the Chancellor of neglecting mid-life and older workers who fear for their jobs.

“Demographic changes make it essential that older people are allowed to work.  The Chancellor has ignored calls for subsidies to short time working, re-skilling programmes and other innovative measures that could keep people employable.  We need different approaches and recognition of the synergies from working inter-generationally, bringing older and younger workers into the same picture. 

“Instead, we get an old fashioned Community Programme, not very different from what Mrs Thatcher came up with in her time.  The Chancellor’s response is that of a one club-golfer, hacking at the rough and driving off the tee with the same rusty iron.”