A POLITICIAN whose constituency has been hit hard by unemployment is backing the Daily Echo’s campaign to help jobless youngsters.

Southampton Test MP Alan Whitehead, below, fears the struggling economy is threatening to “waste” the talents of a generation who could lose motivation and end up “sitting it out”

until prospects improve.

Last month the number of youngsters on the dole nationally topped one million and Mr Whitehead’s constituency saw a 125 per cent rise in just nine months.

From January to September the number of 18 to 24- year-olds on jobseeker’s allowance there soared from 60 people to 135.

He said: “We’re in danger of condemning large numbers of people in Southampton into the assumption that because of the economy it’s not worth applying for training or jobs and they need to sit it out because there’s nothing out there for them.

“To be in that situation at the outset of your working career can be disastrous.

“So it’s not just about investing in people now but also for the future.

“It’s my big concern that their talents can be completely wasted over a generation.”

Mr Whitehead wants youngsters to retain hope and employers to recognise their potential.

He said: “What I think is really good about the Give Me A Chance campaign is that it underlines just how much young people do have to offer.

“Part of the problem of youth unemployment at the moment is employers thinking they had better play it safe as they’re cutting back on recruitment and don’t want to take any risks as those young people are going to be a problem.

“But the opposite is the truth and, as the Daily Echo is showing, young people have an enormous amount to offer and there’s a pool of young talent out there.”

Mr Whitehead urged youngsters not to wait for the “ideal job”.

He said: “I don’t think there are many ideal posts around right now and the key thing is getting employers to give them a break and a chance, as the campaign says.”

Mr Whitehead said employing youngsters pays off.

“Providing someone with an opportunity pays for itself over and over again,”

he said.

“If positions can be created by employers then most young people will become a substantial net asset to the company.

“Particularly with apprenticeships when they are given the opportunity to learn a skill and the skill that person brings pays in the long term.”