Further Funding for Youth Employment

Minister for Youth Employment Angela Constance announced that £8.5 million will be invested in projects to support young people into work. The investment includes:

• £6 million to create 1000 jobs for young people through a continuation of Community Jobs Scotland into 2012/13.
  


• £2.5 million towards a challenge fund to support the third sector to work with employers, delivering 800 opportunities for young people.

This investment is the second tranche of funding from the additional £30 million announced in December to tackle youth unemployment throughout Scotland.

Background
Community Jobs Scotland has been extended following a one year pilot, and is delivered by Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisation (SCVO) and Social Enterprise Scotland (SES) in partnership with the Scottish Government. The Third Sector has committed to working with the Government to deliver a programme which offers the following for 2012/13:

• An opportunity for unemployed people to be given a training opportunity in the third sector for a minimum of 6 months which would allow them to make a contribution to their communities.
  


• 1,000 young people with six month contracts of 25 hours or more per week, for at least the minimum wage.



• Enhancement of longer term job prospects for participants through concrete job experience.- Job specific training.- Additional training which enhances the participant’s wider prospects of securing a permanent job.- Support for the third sector as it seeks to continue to deliver services to communities across Scotland.

The scheme is open to those who have been unemployed for 6 months or more.
The additional £30 million was first announced in December 1, 2011, as explained here.