Government scheme good step in getting young people into employment

Scott Knowles (Credit: East Midlands Chamber)

The East Midlands Chamber has welcomed progress from the government’s Jobs Guarantee scheme, with the first young people having begun paid placements, but has renewed its call for greater skills support as outlined in its publication The Framework for Growth, to get more young people into skilled roles.

The Jobs Guarantee scheme offers a direct route into work for 18 to 24-year-olds who have been claiming Universal Credit and looking for work for 18 months, with the government funding up to 25 hours paid work per week for six months.

The government has said it aims to support more than 90,000 young people into employment over the next three years, forming part of a wider £2.5bn youth employment package. Roles on offer are matched to individual skillsets and are supported by bespoke help to overcome barriers to work, including confidence building and on-the-job skills training.

East Midlands Chamber Chief Executive Scott Knowles said: “Getting more young people into work and equipped with the skills employers need is essential to driving growth and the Jobs Guarantee scheme is an initiative I welcome for addressing that.

“With so many under 24’s not in Education, Employment or Training – NEET – supportive approaches like the Jobs Guarantee scheme that bridge the needs of employers with provision of opportunities for young people and a focus on upskilling during employment are a forward step. Tackling the skills gap, tackling youth unemployment and getting people into roles with the skills to thrive is what we want to see.

“Young people in the Jobs Guarantee scheme benefit from paid work and tailored support, while employers develop new talent that could be a step toward building the skilled workforce they need, so I would encourage East Midlands businesses to consider this route when it fits the requirements of a role.

“The Chamber’s Framework for Growth outlines a series of actions that, if implemented by policymakers, would further address the skills gap in the East Midlands and get more candidates into roles that can hit the ground running with the required skillset.

“The measures we propose include a single skills portal for business so Government-funded training, apprenticeships and business support can be found in one easy place; flexible skills funds for SMEs and microbusinesses to access accredited, modular staff training and ensuring skills funding is aligned with the ways firms plan ahead – short-term funding cycles are less useful.

“Building on the initial success of the Jobs Guarantee scheme, I would urge policymakers to now implement the skills asks in our Framework for Growth to get more skilled applicants into roles.”