I READ with interest Stephen Lambert’s article headlined A long-term problem (Echo, Jul 24).

The author writes about the need for a good quality, state-funded programme to get the young unemployed into work.

Regarding such schemes governments have an utterly diabolical track record.

The Conservatives’ youth training schemes of the 1970s and 80s saw youngsters simply used as cheap labour with employers paying out in Smartie tops.

When work programmes were privatised in the period after 2000 things became worse still.

Tony Blair’s Labour party, which I am ashamed to say kicked off the welfare privatisation racket, sent thousands of unemployed onto inferior courses so bad even Mickey Mouse refused to rubber stamp them.

Forced unpaid work soon followed – picking up litter and scrubbing graffiti, the kind of punishment you get on community service.

When the Tories took power in 2010 as a coalition, they used Labour’s blueprint and pushed it further, handing out billions in contracts to the money-grabbing private sector.

These billions were not spent on quality training or paid work experience, instead going straight into the pockets of unscrupulous Tory cronies.

In my opinion a good quality programme for young unemployed would consist of high quality training, paid work experience, followed by a guaranteed one year government funded job working in the community.

Stephen Dixon, Redcar