Future Jobs: work experience
25 January 2010
Could your business offer work placements to unemployed people to give them a chance to get back into the workplace?
Greenwich Council, through Greenwich Local Labour and Business (GLLaB), in partnership with Jobcentre Plus, is running 'Future Jobs Greenwich' to give unemployed people the chance to gain valuable work experience.
The scheme organises six-month paid work experience placements in the public, private and voluntary sectors.
Benefits for the employer
- Employers get a suitable candidate for the placement, with their salary fully funded through the scheme.
- The scheme also pays the employer’s National Insurance contribution.
- You get to interview and select the best candidate for the job.
- The placement can be stopped at any point if it's not working out.
- You get full support from the Future Jobs Greenwich Team at GLLaB.
Benefits for the employee
- Employees get up-to-date work experience, as well as any training they might need.
- The scheme is a huge step up in returning to, or entering, the job market.
- They are paid the London Living Wage of £7.60 per hour.
- Eighty per cent of past participants have gone into unsupported employment following their placements.
Funded through the Government’s Future Jobs Fund, the 26-week paid work placement provides a valuable step up to permanent employment for people who are currently not in paid employment.
The employer’s only commitment is to provide good quality work experience.
Selecting a candidate
GLLaB and Jobcentre Plus already have a range of local candidates who are eligible for the scheme. These include recent graduates, parent returners, as well as long-term unemployed.
Candidates are often highly skilled, with excellent previous experience, and could prove to be a great asset for your company.
As the employer you will get to select the candidate of your choice from a shortlist supplied by GLLaB. If the placement doesn’t work out you can end it at any stage.
'Helping local people to gain skills'
Cllr Denise Hyland, Greenwich Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills, said: "Greenwich already has a very good track record of working with local employers to create opportunities to help people to re-enter the workplace and gain skills that will help their long-term employability.
"Future Jobs Greenwich offers a tremendous opportunity for local employers to play a practical role in helping local people to gain skills and experience, while making a real contribution to their business - all this for no financial outlay on the employer’s part."
Unique learning experience
GLLaB has run successful programmes under the Intermediate Labour Market (ILM) scheme for several years.
David Campbell, CEO of AEG Europe, said of a previous ILM scheme: "The beauty of the programme is that it allows us the chance to provide a unique learning experience. The individuals on the programme have a level of skills that has proved extremely valuable.”
Many employers in the past have been so impressed with the quality of the candidates that they have decided to keep them on permanently following their placement.
Depending on the size of your company you may want one candidate to fill a placement, or you may want several – there is no limit to the number of placements per company.
Further information
Interested? To find out more, or to offer a work placement, please call the Future Jobs Greenwich Team at GLLaB on 020 8312 7960.
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