Date: 28th April 2009
Summary
Call on councils to help more young people into work
Detail
A £1 billion fund to stimulate councils' efforts to help people into work was hailed today as Ministers called on organisations to submit innovative bids for jobs that will make Britain a better place and improve their local community.
The Future Jobs Fund is a new initiative, backed by significant money, which will help to generate jobs for those in greatest need, particularly young people, and also in areas of high unemployment. It is an important part of the Government's commitment to delivering real help for young people and those who face barriers to employment, making sure people stay connected with the labour market and do not suffer the adverse effects of long-term unemployment.
The Budget delivered an extra £3.1 billion to help people looking for work - including a guaranteed offer of work or training to every 18-24 year old in Britain at risk of becoming long-term unemployed. The package includes the £1 billion Future Jobs Fund that will create 150,000 new jobs. Local authority partnerships and third sector groups will be asked submit innovative bids for jobs that will make Britain a better place and improve their local community.
Welcoming the new fund, Communities Secretary, Hazel Blears said:
''Younger people deserve the chance to secure the work and skills they need to reach their potential and to get their feet onto the career ladder. The new £1 billion Future Jobs Fund will help get councils working harder to identify and stimulate new jobs in their area as well as match residents to existing vacancies.''
Local Government Minister, John Healey, added:
''Especially in today's economic times councils should have a firm focus on helping their residents into work, developing and matching their skills to jobs.
''This new cash injection is good news for Yorkshire, and in a matter of months will help provide guarantees of employment, training or paid work experience for its younger - and until now, untapped - talent for those who have been out of work for nearly a year.
''And it will stimulate councils and other partners to up their game to create new jobs for their residents with a chance to bid for a slice of £1 billion. This builds on existing government efforts to support councils' work to tackle local unemployment, including the review into worklessness we asked the leader of Barnsley Council, Councillor Steve Houghton to conduct, published last month''.
For more information on the fund visit the Department for Work and Pensions Website at www.dwp.gov.uk/campaigns/futurejobsfund. To see their news release visit www.dwp.gov.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2009/apr/149-09-280409.asp.
Today's announcement builds on existing efforts to help councils tackle worklessness. CLG Ministers asked Councillor Houghton to conduct a review into this area, published last month. His report, set out practical measures to support council's efforts to boost employment in their areas, which the Government will respond to in due course. See www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1161530.
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