The Youth Labour Market in Britain: The Role of Intervention

This book assesses the role of government training and employment policies in the youth labour market in Britain. Based on extensive field research, it presents a comprehensive survey of this important and developing branch of labour economics. The author looks at the subject both historically and analytically, using an examination of human capital theory and the economic theory of training to provide a context for his research. Demographic, educational, economic and technological developments over time have greatly influenced the youth labour market, and Mr Deakin relates these changes to the effects of successive government training and employment schemes (such as YOP, TVEI and YTS/YT) on young people, employers and the national economy. He then compares these effects with the alternative no-policy position, and through this comparison detects an erratic policy-learning process which has important implications for future policy.