Alert on youth jobless figures; RECESSION: Trust warning of a lost generation despite GCSEs.

Byline: Lucy Lynch

ONE in five youngsters picking up their GCSE results on Thursday could be out of work by the age of 21 if the pattern of youth unemployment mirrors the 1980s recession.

The shock figures have been released by charity The Prince's Trust, which says young people are bearing the brunt of the current economic downturn.

Nearly a third of those claiming jobseekers allowance are under 25, with youth unemployment climbing in the past year as the recession deepened.

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Of the 11,176 people in Coventry claiming jobseekers allowance, 3,295 of them are between the ages of 18 and 24. But there are likely to be others out of work who don't appear on the figures because they're not eligible for jobseeker's allowance, even though they can't find a job.

Bosses at The Prince's Trust have looked at youth unemployment patterns from previous recessions and estimate the figures will get worse over the next few years. They estimate that if youth unemployment pat-ternare the same in this recession as they were in the 1980s recession then one in five 16-year-olds collecting GCSE results this week will be out of work by the time they're 21.

The trust has teamed up with the University of Sheffield for a report about youth unemployment nationally and is calling for urgent action to tackle the problem now.

One of the authors, Professor Danny Dorling, 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 recession, with those without qualifications worst off.

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

The Prince's Trust director for the West Midlands Kathy Williams said: "It is more important than ever that we support those with fewest qualifications before they become a lost generation."

The trust has identified hospitals, youth work and some areas of hospitality as growth areas, and is already extending training schemes.