Young people get employment boost
05 February 2010
The council has taken on 18 local people in a range of roles across the Community Services directorate. The scheme, in partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), will help youngsters in the district enter the job market and enhance their employment prospects during the recession.
Since the recession started to bite the number of people out of work in South Gloucestershire has gone up from 2.9 to 4.5 per cent in the 16 – 64 age group. Currently, 4.3 per cent of 16-18 year olds are not in employment, education or training and it is these young people that the initiative is reaching out to.
The new employees have been offered roles as library assistants, gardeners, ground workers and community sports assistants for six months in posts created by money from the DWP’s Future Jobs Fund. The initiative is running in conjunction with the City Academy Bristol, who will provide a pre-employment skills assessment and one day a week helping the young people sharpen up their numeracy and literacy skills, as well as assistance with job applications, CV writing and how to search for jobs.
Councillor John Godwin, executive member for external affairs and partnerships and chairman of the council’s economic taskforce, said:
“The recession has impacted South Gloucestershire - as it has the rest of the country - and so we are taking advantage of every available opportunity we can to help South Gloucestershire’s young people find work during these difficult times.
This initiative and our recent Business Administration apprenticeship will provide local young people with much-needed work experience and the skills to go out and succeed in the job marketplace.”
Employment Minister and Minister for the South West Jim Knight, said: "This is great news for the young people who have been given the opportunity of a job with South Gloucestershire Council.
"Government is backing the Future Jobs Fund by working with the public, private and voluntary sectors to create job opportunities to help young people get a foot on the career ladder and ensure no one is written off.”
The project aims to provide employment and training opportunities to young people between the ages of 18 to 24, who have been out of work for at least six months.
The four West of England councils have joined together to offer up to 150 young people the opportunity to boost their employment prospects and experience full-time work, many for the first time. If the initiative is successful, the council has the opportunity to apply for further funding to offer the same chances to another group of young people later in the year.
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