Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Extra help to tackle youth unemployment
The Government's programme to help tackle youth unemployment, which is being led by Nick Clegg, received a boost today when the Deputy Prime Minister announced that Wage subsidies for firms taking on young workers are to be brought forward in areas with the highest levels of long-term youth unemployment.
He announced that instead of coming in at nine months, the subsidy of £2,275 per person will start at six months:
The subsidy, equivalent to half the minimum wage, is part of the Government's £1 billion Youth Contract launched last autumn.
Mr Clegg will tell a CBI jobs summit in London today: "Three months can make all the difference.
"When you feel like your banging your head against a brick wall, when you live in an area where opportunities are already few and far between, another 12 weeks of rejection letters, of being cut off, of sitting at home waiting, worrying, that can seriously knock the stuffing out of you, making it extremely difficult to pick yourself up.
"So jobcentres will be able to make use of the subsidy before people are referred to the Work Programme, capitalising on their links with local employers, and they'll also intensify support, so more training, more regular coaching, spending more time with young people to knock a CV into shape or prep ahead of an interview."
This is a huge problem of course and not one that can be solved easily. However, the Government's programme at least kills the lie that the coalition is doing nothing to try and deal with it.
He announced that instead of coming in at nine months, the subsidy of £2,275 per person will start at six months:
The subsidy, equivalent to half the minimum wage, is part of the Government's £1 billion Youth Contract launched last autumn.
Mr Clegg will tell a CBI jobs summit in London today: "Three months can make all the difference.
"When you feel like your banging your head against a brick wall, when you live in an area where opportunities are already few and far between, another 12 weeks of rejection letters, of being cut off, of sitting at home waiting, worrying, that can seriously knock the stuffing out of you, making it extremely difficult to pick yourself up.
"So jobcentres will be able to make use of the subsidy before people are referred to the Work Programme, capitalising on their links with local employers, and they'll also intensify support, so more training, more regular coaching, spending more time with young people to knock a CV into shape or prep ahead of an interview."
This is a huge problem of course and not one that can be solved easily. However, the Government's programme at least kills the lie that the coalition is doing nothing to try and deal with it.
