THERE has been a lot of concern recently about the youth of today not taking up the offer of training schemes.

I wonder if it may have anything to do with the fact the parents of these young people are the youth of yesteryear, who were involved in the Youth Training Schemes (YTS)?

These schemes promised that if people worked hard they would come out of the scheme into permanent jobs.

They were paid, I think, £25 per week and many did unpaid extra hours to show they would be good workers.

Sadly, very few ended up with permanent jobs – the employers simply moved on to the next free-to-them YTS young person.

Also, very few employers taught their young charges any skills.

They just exploited them as free dogs-bodies.

There will, of course, be howls of protest over that last statement.

Well, I say don’t take my word for it – go and ask the YTS participants.

S Pope, Durham