Celebrations soured by bleak prospects for youngsters missing out on uni

Frances O'Grady

Commenting on today's (Thursday) A-level results, TUC Deputy General Secretary Frances O' Grady said:

"Today many thousands will be rightly rewarded for their hard work with excellent A-level results and a fantastic chance to go to university.

"But because of the rush to avoid next year's fees hike, and the government's refusal to fund extra university places, record numbers of students will lose out on higher education altogether.

"While the growing number of apprenticeships is welcome, too few are going to young people. And with one in five young people currently out of work, the prospects for too many youngsters leaving school are bleak.
"Young people are being badly let down by this government - a failure that carries a devastating social and economic impact. Ministers need to step up and prioritise providing more jobs and training for young people."