Almost half of young people in Spain are unemployed and of those who are in work almost 50% are over qualified.

When a person is doing a job for which they are overqualified it can lead to professional and emotional scarring and it can lead to people emigrating to a country where their qualifications will be recognised and employment is possible.These facts have been voiced by Ignacio Socias the director general of the “think tank ” Family Watch.This is the first time that an economic crisis has affected the young more than the old.

Family Watch feel that the Spanish government has yet to come up with a strategy to stop the problem.Other countries have introduced successful schemes and now people are asking why Spain has not.

In Germany they have a “dual ” scheme whereby the young person does training in the morning and works in the afternoon.They do not earn a lot but the employer pays reduced taxes and social security for them.

Maybe in Spain as in many other countries there is a need for apprenticeship schemes where people learn on the job.Many skills could be acquired in this way.If Spanish youngsters are overqualified then maybe too many people are doing degrees in the first place.It appears that only a third of those doing courses in journalism ever become journalists.That cannot be right.