THE youngsters at yesterday’s youth jobs fair disprove the prevailing outlook of some that very few of them want to work.

Take a look at Emma Jones.

This 21-year-old has, she said, applied for 50 jobs in the past month — without any response. Darren Lenton, also 21, tells a similar story, hunting for a job since 2009 and wanting to help provide for his two-year-old son.

The excuse of youth disenfranchisement and unemployment was ridiculously and irresponsibly overplayed as a cause of the looting and rioting last week.

But, speaking to the people at yesterday’s event, you can sense the frustration within them.

The number of under 18s unemployed has risen by 11 per cent in the past year, to just more than 900. And BMW’s apprentice scheme sees almost 15 people going for each position, with the trend already showing of more people applying because they cannot afford university fees.

Yesterday’s job fair, the first of its kind, is at least an attempt to help some and so must be welcomed.

Companies can’t be expected just to take on young people if they are not suitable for a position. But perhaps they should consider that if we consign a large chunk of the population to the dole queue, then their long-term customer base will shrink.