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Employers need to support young carers to get training

Feb 12 2008

Young people providing unpaid care for an ill, frail or disabled family member, need more support from their employers to avoid losing out on training and employment opportunities, claims a business expert.

Carers UK says that those carers aged between 16 and 24 are much less likely to complete their education due to the responsibilities that come with looking after another person.

It can also impact their employment opportunities by depriving them of adequate training and subsequent skills they need.

Kate Groucutt, senior policy officer for Carers UK, says: 'We need to think about younger people who've got their whole career ahead of them and really, really need that support.'

She adds that carers can be of all ages, all social classes, all races and from all locations in the UK.

According to figures from the Children's Society, in the UK there are 175,000 children under the age of 18 who are responsible for looking after parents and other relatives who are disabled or live with a range of debilitating conditions.

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