COUNTY WEXFORD has the third highest rate of youth unemployment in the country, at 47 per cent.

There were 1,948 people under the age of 25 on the live register in County Wexford at the end of 2015.

According to Central Statistics Office data released in 2012, there were at the time 78 small areas in County Wexford with youth unemployment rates of between 70 and 100 per cent.

These areas had a total labour force of 900 people aged between 15 and 24.

Of all parts of the county, the issue of youth unemployment traditionally hits Enniscorthy hardest.

In a bid to tackle the problem, Wexford Local Development (WLD) has in recent years developed a number of programmes aimed at assisting young people in their bid to attain employment.

Some 70 young people, 26 service provider representatives and 21 employers were involved in an extensive research project conducted to identify issues faced by those affected.

Findings included: a lack of workplace experience; an absence of young people’s voices from policy and decision-making on the issue; a lack of transport in rural areas and negative lifestyle habits derived from prolonged unemployment.

The project also considered the impact of: living in a disadvantaged community, dependency on substances / alcohol and difficulty in developing a routine and work-related experience.

A range of programmes are now accessible to the young and unemployed in the county.

The organisation is currently running free courses throughout the county for unemployed people aged 15 to 24 years.

Aimed at helping young people discover their strengths and skills, the course also helps young jobseekers to build their CVs.

A dedicated Youth Unemployment Tús Programme, meanwhile, has seen a 40 per cent rate of progression to employment.

It provides work experience, training and mentoring support to young people over a sustained 12 month period.

Read more in the Wexford Echo.