OXFORD is bucking the trend with the number of young people on the dole falling.

While latest national figures show a record 1.2 million 16-24-year-olds out of work, there are 600 young benefit claimants in the city — the lowest figure since December 2008.

And across the county, there are a total of 2,000 young people on Jobseekers’ Allowance according to official statistics for October, down by 120 on the September figure, contributing to an overall drop in claimants of 174 to 7,725.

But experts and employers remain concerned about youth unemployment and cynical over the levels of bureaucracy involved in taking on an apprentice or school-leaver.

Frank Nigriello, chairman of employers’ group Oxfordshire Business First, said: “While the figures are encouraging, there are still issues that go right back to our primary schools which are among the worst performing in the country.

“Business are telling us how hard it is to find good young people with appropriate levels of skill and motivation. They want people who can express themselves, think clearly and solve problems but not enough are being produced.”

Tony Morris, managing director of Headington-based engineering firm European Instruments, recently took on a 16-year-old apprentice but it took ten months to find a suitable candidate.

He said: “The response was poor. We tried to go through the National Apprenticeship Service but we were referred to a private agency who wanted to charge us £250 to talk to us, pay £9,000 for a training course and give us ten pages of conditions.

“In the end we advertised it in the job centre, had four applicants of which we interviewed two. We did not need an apprentice but thought we should do our bit, but the process has taken since January.”

Didcot-based entrepreneur Jon Treanor, who set up the NEETS Interface, which helps young people not in education, employment or training find internships with county businesses has now suspended the service, after finding little interest from potential candidates.

He said: “We e-mailed 400 people on Oxfordshire County Council’s register of NEETS and did not get one response and when we called them and set up 38 interviews, only 20 turned up.

“On the whole, young people don’t want to work. There are companies willing to give internships but the incentives aren’t enough.”

But figures show the number of apprenticeships in Oxford are soaring with 600 taken in the Oxford East constituency alone, a rise of 69 per cent.

Sadia Rashid left school at 16 with no qualifications and admits she had no interest in finding a job.

She said: “I didn’t want to do anything except stay at home and watch TV like normal teenagers – but it meant I had a rubbish relationship with my mum.”

Eventually Sadia, now 18, who lives with mother Rukhsana in Rose Hill, was referred to Cowley-based In Training where she studied for foundation courses in English and maths and a BTEC qualification in business administration.

Her trainers were so impressed they offered her a job as an administrator and she is now studying for an NVQ Level 2 in business administration and wants to become a tutor herself.

She added: “I am really happy to have the qualifications which I can put on my CV. And my relationship with my mum has also changed for the better.”

asmith@oxfordmail.co.uk