I really don’t understand the furore surrounding the government’s work experience scheme.

If you’re a young unemployed adult surely anything that gets you into the swing of working life must be good? There is no joy or self-respect to be had in sitting around on your duff drawing benefits.

So, you get an introduction to the work place, you make contacts and show an employer what you can do while still drawing your benefits. If at the end of eight weeks the company decides you have promise and offers you a job so much the better. If they don’t, you will be that much wiser and can show your willingness to work on your CV. How bad can that be?

This is an incentive for employers, reluctant to recruit at such a volatile time, to give young people a chance to show what they can do and provides a good opportunity for the unemployed to get into a working environment.

Is it unreasonable to ask those receiving benefits to give it a try for eight weeks? How much worse can it be than two months of idleness?

I was so desperate to land my first job I offered to work for bus fare. They gave me a chance and I stayed for four years on a very fair salary. I just needed an opportunity to impress.

It’s a tactic I’ve used occasionally throughout my career (but not for bus fare).

So, considering the lingering recession and the understandable reluctance of employers to recruit we should welcome this initiative with open arms.

Will some employers exploit the system?

Yes, I suppose a few might, but it beats hanging around doing nothing and what have unemployed kids got to lose?

It may be just the break many of them need.