£3.2m career package
A £3.2m package of education and training programmes have been developed for young people i n North Lanarkshire to increase their employment opportunities.
The funding has been provided to North Lanarkshire from the Scottish Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee initiative to support 16 to 24-year olds impacted by the downturn in the economy as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
During 2021/22 the council aims to use the money to help more than 400 young people through a variety of programmes designed to meet their employment needs.
“With many young people losing their jobs during the pandemic, this funding for North Lanarkshire will allow the council to provide muchneeded training and support for 16 to 24-year olds,” said Councillor Allan Graham, convener of the enterprise and growth committee.
“Our employment programmes offer practical work experience and training to increase young people’s skills and knowledge, helping them into jobs and giving them a positive career start. This also ensures we have people with the necessary skills required by business and industry.”
A total of 72 Modern Apprentice posts will be created within the council, providing high quality, sustainable employment f or young people as a springboard for future jobs.
The council is working with the voluntary sector to provide up to 50 new year-long posts, and will offer additional work experience to young people on the Job Centre + Kickstart programme which provides six-month work placements for young people on Universal Credit.
The council’s employer recruitment programme offers local companies up to 50 per cent of the salary costs for a young person in a new, permanent job for a maximum of 12 months.
The Young Person’s Guarantee funding will help 200 young people to find jobs through this programme.
Through the Youth Employment Hubs 100 young vulnerable people who have left school with few qualifications and may have additional barriers to accessing training or employment will be given education, training and support to find a job.
In 2020/21 the council received £2.1m from the first round of Young Person’s Guarantee funding which is currently supporting 868 young people, and aims to assist 365 into employment.