Youth unemployment in Shropshire has gone up by 80 per cent over the past year, a leading charity has revealed.

One in three of those claiming Jobseekers Allowance in Shropshire are within the 18 to 24 age group, according to the Prince’s Trust.

A report from the charity and the University of Sheffield says one in five young people collecting their GCSEs next week could be on the dole at 21 if trends are in line with the 1980s recession.

About 3,500 Shropshire students will leave secondary school this summer – and those leaving with no GCSEs are twice as likely to sign on as those with qualifications.

The report calls for urgent action.

Professor Danny Dorling of the University of Sheffield, said: “If the number of young people on the dole exceeds a million, this summer’s school leavers will be the hardest hit since the 1929 crash, with those without qualifications worst off.

“However, the rate of youth unemployment to come will depend almost entirely on what opportunities young people are offered. This is why we must act now.”

Kathy Williams, West Midlands regional director of the Prince’s Trust, added: “It is more important than ever that we support those with fewest qualifications before they become a lost generation.”

The report was released yesterday as the trust announced new training opportunities in job sectors most likely to endure the recession.

According to its research, health and social care and some areas of hospitality are expected to remain stable and potentially experience growth.

A new Get Into Hospital Services project is being launched by the trust and it is expanding the existing “get into” social care, youth work and hospitality schemes. Kevin Humphreys, business development manager at Shropshire Council’s County Training – the largest training provider in Shropshire – confirmed that unemployment youth unemployment had “gone up significantly”.

But he said County Training had a variety of initiatives in place ranging from packages of support for those newly redundant to the long-term unemployed.

It also had a team of tutors to help put CVs together and teach them interview techniques and how to write speculative letters.

By Dave Morris