The report, Youth unemployment in the global contact, looks at youth unemployment internationally, with a greater focus on Germany, Denmark, Netherlands and Australia - all of which have maintained consistently low levels of youth unemployment despite the economic downturn.
The report states the UK's youth unemployment problem cannot be attributed solely to the recession, particularly as other major economies have consistently outperformed the UK in this area.
Drawing on best practice from other countries, the report makes a series of recommendations about how the UK Government can improve its policy responses:
· From Germany, the report makes recommendations for the UK apprenticeship system, calling for greater employer engagement and urging the government to push for all large employers to sign an agreement to offer places, with a widening of the model to include more occupations and greater academic content.
· From Denmark, the report calls for the Government to focus on early intervention and an 'education first' approach for young unemployed people without qualifications. Policy should also encourage more opportunities for private sector on-the-job training, which is likely to have more long-term benefits compared to unpaid work experience.
· From Australia, the report raises major concerns about work-for-your-dole schemes, with the evidence showing them to be largely ineffective at getting young people into employment. It warns that while voluntary schemes can have a small positive impact, forcing people to take part in schemes - can actually reduce a person's chances of getting into work.
Lizzie Crowley, the report's author, said: "In many other developed nations, youth unemployment has remained low despite the global downturn.
"However, in the UK youth unemployment as a proportion of 15-24-year-olds has increased at a faster rate over the course of the recession than both the European and OECD averages.
"While the reasons for this are complex, it's clear that the UK can learn from the experiences of those countries that have fared much better in terms of youth unemployment.
"The Government should focus on those policies that have been shown to work, cherry-picking the best responses from other countries and adapting them to the needs of the UK labour market."