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                                      <img src="/media/images/49673000/jpg/_49673453_lila66.jpg" alt="Lila Allen" /><span class="author-name">By Lila Allen</span><br /><span class="author-position">Newsbeat reporter</span>&#13;
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                      <p class="introduction">The government is being accused of abandoning young job seekers in what is already a difficult jobs market.</p>&#13;
        <p>Today (18 March) is the last day for applications to the Future Jobs Fund, a £1 billion scheme set up by the last Labour government to help mainly young unemployed people back into work. </p>&#13;
        <p>It gave businesses in unemployment hotspots up to £6,500 for creating jobs that would last at least six months.</p>&#13;
        <p>The Work Foundation says the decision has come at the wrong time.</p>&#13;
        <p>"I think the risk of cutting the Future Jobs Fund at the moment is that there's nothing to really take its place," said the foundation's Steven Overell.</p>&#13;
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  <blockquote><p class="lead">One month after the programme half the people that were on it are back on the dole - it failed</p></blockquote>&#13;
	<span class="quote_credit">Prime Minister David Cameron</span>&#13;
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      <p>"If people have an experience of being unemployed when they're young, it dramatically increases their chances of being unemployed later in life."</p>&#13;
        <p>However, Prime Minister David Cameron told Newsbeat the scheme had failed, and defended the government's decision to end it a year early and save £290 million. </p>&#13;
        <p>"The Future Jobs Fund has been one of the most ineffective job schemes there's been," the prime minister said.</p>&#13;
        <p>"The really damning evidence is that it's a six-month programme, but one month after the programme [has finished] half the people that were on it are back on the dole. It failed."</p>&#13;
  <span class="cross-head">'I'm really proud'</span>      <p>Ben, 25, teaches sport to children in the Preston area and thinks the fund should be maintained.</p>&#13;
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    Ben got a job teaching sport and thinks the fund should be kept going&#13;
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      <p>"I was one of the first batch of Future Jobs Fund candidates at Premier Sport. </p>&#13;
        <p>"Three of the 200 were successful in getting a franchise opportunity and I was one of the three, so I'm really proud of that."</p>&#13;
        <p>He disagrees with the prime minister's verdict on the scheme.</p>&#13;
        <p>"I think I'm proof that the Future Jobs Fund didn't fail. Without it, I wouldn't be where I am today."</p>&#13;
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    Daniel ended up back on the dole after doing the FJF programme&#13;
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      <p>However, the argument that the scheme is too expensive, and ineffective at creating long-term work, is backed up by some people.</p>&#13;
        <p>Daniel, 19, got a position through the Future Jobs Fund at the Trax Windsport Centre in Lytham St Annes.</p>&#13;
        <p>Unfortunately, it didn't last.</p>&#13;
        <p>"After the six months I had to more or less go back on jobseeker's allowance because there wasn't a job here. It's depressing."</p>&#13;
  <span class="cross-head">Apprenticeships 'boost'</span>      <p>The government says it recognises the need to help young people and that it's taking measures to help. </p>&#13;
        <p>Work experience rules are changing to allow eight weeks on placements, rather than two, without losing benefits.</p>&#13;
        <p>Jobcentre Plus around the country are working with local businesses to make these opportunities available.</p>&#13;
        <p>The government believes they are a better route into work and says it's committed to increasing apprenticeships for adults over the age of 19 by an extra 75,000 a year.</p>&#13;
        <p>The Work Programme also starts in the summer. </p>&#13;
        <p>It aims to help all long-term unemployed back into work, and young people over 18 will be referred onto it after nine months of unemployment. </p>&#13;
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        </div></div><p><strong>Read more:</strong> <a class="rssreadon" rel="external" title="Jobs decision 'abandons' young" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/newsbeat/12771694" target="_blank">http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/newsbeat/12771694</a></p>