Young people take to streets in Leeds demanding better jobs and training

• Video report by Annie Knowlson

Young people from across the region have taken to the streets of Leeds today demanding better quality jobs and more training opportunities.

It follows concerns unemployment is set to rise now the furlough scheme is at an end. 

The campaigning group 'Youth Fight for Jobs' wants to see the government make young people's futures a priority.

They also want to see free education and the writing off of student debt.

While things like HGV driver shortage has taken centre stage in the last few weeks - it is industries that employ young people the most that have been some of the worst hit. 

The government says youth unemployment is going down, falling by 0.6% on the quarter to 12.9% and the number of young people on company payrolls increased by over 8% on the quarter to 290,000.

Student James Leech, who had a Kickstart job, says the scheme does not work.

These campaigners say they need local and national government to invest in their futures to prevent them becoming the economic victims of the pandemic for years to come.