What a minefield the whole issue of welfare reform is.  Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. 

It’s a difficult one for the Northern Ireland Executive, they have not influenced the legislation which has passed its final stage at Westminster but under the rules of parity they have few options or room for maneuvering regarding its implementation here.

It’s no surprise that the Executive doesn’t speak with one voice on this issue, have they ever? Corporation tax is the exception that springs to mind.  As the incumbent and the previous holders of the DSD portfolio it is that the DUP and SDLP that have been most vocal on this issue.

This is an exceptional challenge to get right.  Making sure that those people that are most vulnerable in our society are protected and supported whilst managing and addressing the growing culture that the state will provide irrespective of the circumstances is very difficult to manage. 

The Minister supports the reform in principle and the view that the current system is too complex and can trap people in benefit dependency with increasing levels of expenditure which he claims is no longer longer affordable.   His stated approach is utilising ‘flexibilities’ in operational arrangements, hence the recent discussions and apparent misunderstandings in relation to pensioner travel. 

A proposed motion by the SDLP’s Mark H Durkan calling on the Executive to oppose a wide range of the welfare reforms and to pursue negotiations with the coalition government was rejected.  He has cited ‘universal credit’, sanctions for those turning down jobs, a cap on benefits paid to a single family and the complexities of the changes to housing benefit,  given the segregated character of housing in many parts of Northern Ireland as some of the areas to be addressed.

The reality is that there is every possibility that some people who are in genuine need of support will lose out with these reforms but the flip side is that reform and a culture change is needed to reduce the dependency on benefits.    The concern, which has been well documented in the grand old institution that is the House of Lords, is that too much focus may be on cuts and not enough focus on getting it right.

In fairness though it’s not an easy issue to get right, it never has been, and the Executive and its sub-committee set up to deal with this is never going to come out of it with a success story, especially considering the few options that are open to them.   

As a post conflict community there are specific considerations for Northern Ireland  but the  statistic that almost 1 in 5 of our people of working age are economically inactive,  the highest figure in the UK, must be addressed – more innovation is needed to engage and support those people that feel disempowered and marginalised.

The unemployment rate in Northern Ireland in the first quarter of 2012 has actually fallen by 0.4% from the previous quarter yet the number of people here claiming unemployment-related benefits increased by 0.3%. The claimant count rate is 6.9%, well above the UK average of 5.0% and the second highest among the 12 UK regions. 

Schemes such as the coalition government’s work placement programme which has received so much media coverage is a positive opportunity and is one that we should encourage young people to embrace. 

There is no doubt that the programme cannot be a provision for free labour or to displace existing staff, that is simply not acceptable and for credibility from the employers perspective it is vital that it is truly voluntary but there must be a leap of faith by young people in this position.   

Business industry representative groups such as CBI has re-iterated the importance of gaining employment experience and core skills.    It is the age old issue, you cannot get experience without a job and you cannot get a job without experience - this programme provides the opportunity to break that chain.  As long as there is buy in from both parties this is a win win scenario.   

One thing that the media coverage in relation to this issue has done is to significantly raise the programme’s profile.  Since the government has made amendments to the programme many new companies have come on board from a wide variety of industries, this is a positive development and offers the opportunity of supporting a greater variety of skills sets.

I believe in these difficult times there is an added onus on businesses to support the training and skills of our young people across all different levels of education qualifications, capabilities and skills. 

Our industry has set up an initiative with the Northern Ireland Executive to support young communication professionals gain valuable experience and I would encourage other industry groups to consider how this can work for them.

The fact also remains that so many of our young people are leaving these shores to find work.  A recent story highlighting the depletion of a GAA team in Co. Down due to so many players emigrating to gain work is reflective of the position of many communities throughout the island of Ireland.

So many challenges, so little time to address the growing momentum ‘of a lost generation’, let’s hope the government, businesses and young people make that leap of faith. 

Claire Aiken is Managing Director at Public Relations and Public Affairs company Aiken PR