ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by demonstrating how many of the contemporary debates around current youth unemployment have their roots firmly in the 1980s crisis. It then focuses on the findings from secondary analysis of data relating to youth employment in the 1980s. The chapter also argues that the punitive turn actually began far earlier and can be traced back to the early 1980s, when the previously sympathetic tone shifted to one of blame as economic problems became increasingly entrenched. This was underpinned by changing policies that became less about supporting young people and more about penalising them. With the transition from school to work in the 1980s coming to be symbolised by two key themes, high levels of youth unemployment and Youth Training Scheme (YTS), one must be mindful that, while young people in some areas suffered extremely badly, others were minimally affected.
