Youth Contract Campaign
Youth Contract: Works for me
The Youth Contract is a package of support to make it easy for businesses to give young unemployed people an opportunity. Each Youth Contract is designed for your business, you could:
- get up to £2,275 to help with wages
- support a young person through training, which is tailored for your business
- see if a young person is right for your business, by giving them work experience.
Find out more about how your business can reap the benefits:
DWP has launched a campaign to spread the word about the Youth Contract to an even greater number of businesses. We aim to build on the fantastic support employers have already given, we’ll be showcasing the different benefits you could gain by having a young person join your workforce.
Employers in the North East, South Yorkshire and Birmingham will hear about the Youth Contract on the radio. We are promoting the financial help you can get with wages, work experience, apprenticeships and other ways of bringing young people into growing businesses.
Nicki Kennedy, owner of The Beauty Bar in Ashington, heard the Youth Contract radio advert and got in touch with Jobcentre Plus.
She said:
"I was looking for someone to help out in the salon and then I heard about the Youth Contract. It’s a great way of giving a young person the chance to get some experience and I get to help grow my business too."
In addition, Jobcentre Plus will be organising business to business and other interactive events to match employers with opportunities to young people looking for work.
Employers who wish to find out more telephone 0845 601 2001 (option 2).
Youth Contract worked for these employers:
WD Close Engineering
Bill Henderson Jobcentre Plus Wallsend, Kelly Scott WD Close
Engineering
with employees recruited through the Youth Contract.
One of the businesses supporting the campaign is WD Close, an engineering company from Tyneside who gave work experience placements to 6 local youngsters. The work experience was followed by an apprenticeship and now all six have permanent jobs in the Wallsend factory.
Dean Close, Works Director said: "As an employer it’s important to us to give opportunities to young people where we can. It’s great to be able to help the local community and it makes good business sense as well."
One of the young people involved, Jonathan Bradbury went from strength to strength in his new job and was awarded Apprentice of the Year. He said: "Having this opportunity has changed my life. I’d say to anyone – give it a go, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain."
- Youth Contract press advertisement – WD Close Engineering (2.85MB)
- Youth Contract radio advertisement – WD Close Engineering (941KB) MP3
- Youth Contract radio advertisement – WD Close Engineering – transcript (17B)
Meg's Sweets
Leigh Simms with Bev and Dean Mortimer at Meg's sweet shop
We're also featuring Meg's Sweets, a family run business in Hull that has taken on Leigh Simms to work in the shop. Things got busy after the co-owner, Bev, had a baby. Leigh used to regularly visit the shop and the owners were aware she was looking for a job. At the same time the local Jobcentre got in touch to tell them about the wage incentive.
Co-owner Dean Mortimer said: "The timing of that call couldn’t have been better, suddenly everything fell into place. The wage incentive has been a great help to us, it’s meant we can take on the extra staff we need and make the business thrive."