Employers have been urged to do more to get 18-24-year-olds back into work by secretary of state for work and pensions Yvette Cooper.

Cooper’s comments came at a webcast for the Backing Young Britain campaign which aims to create new opportunities for young people during the recession.

Cooper says: “We are determined to do everything we can to help the next generation of young people get ahead. If every one of the 2m businesses across the UK could offer one single job, apprenticeship or training opportunity to a young person, then we could make a real difference and help young people get that all important first foot on the career ladder.”

John Wright, national chairman, Federation of Small Businesses, adds: “Small businesses are stepping forward as the key to tackling the challenge of youth unemployment. At least one in five says they are keen to take on graduate interns and most would like to take on an apprentice.”

But mature workers should not be neglected, a spokesperson for The Third Age Employment Network (TAEN) told Recruiter: “There is a lot of attention on 18-24-year- olds but also there needs to be support for people over 50. If we don’t want what happened in the last recession in terms of premature and permanent exit from the labour market for people over 50, sound and robust additional support has to be put in place for them. A balance needs to be struck.”