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Schemes to get jobless young people into work are being harmed by excessive bureaucracy and Whitehall control, local government leaders have said.

The Local Government Association (LGA) said the £15bn system was awash with different strategies and age ranges.

In a report, the LGA claimed councils could provide support for young people if some of the schemes were combined.

The Department for Work and Pensions said it was providing an extra £1bn over three years to help young people.

The LGA's David Simmonds said national approaches were "failing to get to grips with local issues".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17423889