Nick Clegg clashes with student over policies

by Akilah Russell

An angry student  has confronted Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, attacking his plans to help jobless young adults.

In a heated debate held at South Birmingham College, Maya Black, 26, said that the Lib Dems' proposals to offer young people 90 days of work experience is "a glorified piece of paper, that’s all it is."

Black, who is currently studying an access to health course, disagreed with the Lib Dems' pledge that young people will not spend more than 90 days on JobSeeker's Allowance before they get more training, education, an internship or a place on a work programme - saying that it could "actually de-motivate people."

After admitting that "just doing another training course doesn’t create work", Clegg told Black - who shook her head in disagreement - : “You may shake your head, but the most important thing for a young person in that situation is not that I promise I can conjure up a job out of thin air...but that at least you keep young people motivated.”

He added that there was nothing worse than to have a young person sitting at home “feeling isolated, cut off, not being in the world of work.”

‘Lost for words’

Black, who formerley worked in recruitment, said: “I’ve got a background working in recruitment; I know I’ve had hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of candidates, young people applying for my jobs, and they’d come in with certificates of all the training schemes they’ve been on, all the academic achievements they’ve had and they couldn’t find jobs.

"So it’s all very well you saying you’d put them on training schemes but that will not help them find jobs."

Miss Black then asked: “What are you going to do to help employers to find jobs for young people?

"They won’t find jobs with a certificate - it’s a glorified piece of paper, that’s all it is unless you do something for employers. What are you going to do?"

The Lib Dem leader replied, asking: "What is the alternative? What do you want to do?"

Miss Black interrupted him - and was applauded by her fellow students - after stating: "You shouldn’t be asking me that – I’m asking you."

Speaking after Mr Clegg left the college, the student told reporters that she was left feeling "really angered" by Clegg’s answers, and said he had failed to address her query and wrongly tried to make her provide the answers.

She added: "He looked lost for words. How is he going to run a country when he can’t answer a student’s questions?"

The general election is to be held this Thursday.