Day one support for young people in London
Image courtesy of Peabody
A trailblazer giving young people vital work experience and jobs advice to help them move away from benefits and into work has been launched.
Under the trailblazer around 6,000 unemployed young Londoners with little or no work history will be helped to improve their job prospects through a package of support that includes:
- 30 hours of work placement a week for a 13-week period.
- 10 hours a week where providers work with claimants on job search activities
Work experience will be carried out in a range of sectors including charities, social enterprises and voluntary organisations and will deliver clear benefits to the communities in which people taking part in the trailblazer live.
Alongside work experience, participants will also benefit from provider-led support in their search for work through tailored job search advice and assistance such as CV writing and interview skills.
The scheme will target 18 to 24 year olds who claim income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance and have less than six months' work history.
The trailblazer is a joint pilot between the Mayor of London and the Department for Work and Pensions. It covers 16 London Boroughs: Croydon, Westminster, Barnet, Haringey, Enfield, Islington, Greenwich, Lewisham, Kensington & Chelsea, Bexley, Bromley, Sutton, Merton, Southwark, Lambeth and Camden.
One of the key barriers many young people face is a lack of work history. If a young person has never worked, or has very little work history, it can be harder for them to move into employment, especially in a labour market where there are considerable numbers of jobseekers with more experience. The trailblazer will help to address these issues and equip those who are struggling to get a foot on the job ladder in an increasingly competitive job market with the skills and experience that will boost their marketability to potential employers.
Participants on the trailblazer will continue to receive Jobseeker’s Allowance. If a claimant fails to participate without good reason, their claim will be subject to low level sanctions.
Speaking at the launch of the scheme on 28 August, Employment Minister, Chris Grayling, said: “Many other countries don’t allow young people to claim any benefits at all until they have made contributions through a job. This trial will give a clear idea of the impact of an approach that says, effectively, you can’t get something back until you have put something in.”
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “It's no secret that work experience can be the key that opens the door to a successful career and more young Londoners need to be given the opportunity to do it. Right now it's a tough labour market out there and we have to ensure that all young people get the skills they need to succeed and for which employers are crying out.
If successful the scheme will be rolled out nationally.
Placements are currently being contracted out to providers and eligible jobseekers will be referred onto the scheme later this year.
The trial is funded by DWP European Social Fund co-financing made available from Greater London Authority.
Press release – Joint press release from Greater London Authority and Department for Work and Pensions – 28 August 2012