The new project will offer 16 to 24 year olds in England work experience and training, with employers such as HSBC, BT, General Motors and Virgin Media planning to run youth traineeships under the Government’s scheme.
According to the Government, young people will get assistance in writing a CV, interview practice, work placements of up to five months and training in English and maths.
The scheme is funded by the Department for Education (DfE) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and the Association of Colleges said it hoped the traineeship scheme would reduce youth unemployment.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) released figures showing that 959,000 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK were unemployed in the three months to May – a jobless rate of 20.9%.
It has been reported that the new traineeships will be available from August, with Skills Minister, Matthew Hancock, stating:
“Young people in Britain deserve the chance to work and get on in life which is why we’re introducing traineeships to help them get on the first rung of the ladder.
“Employers value real experience which is why I’m delighted that more than 100 businesses have come forward. I now want to urge more employers – no matter what size – to sign up to the programme and make the most of the talents of our young people.”
Also commenting, Dr Adam Marshall, Director of Policy and External Affairs at the British Chambers of Commerce, said:
“Traineeships can provide a reliable route to employment for those motivated to work, but who currently lack the necessary skills and experience.
“This framework should give employers the confidence to recruit young people and to create more apprenticeship opportunities.”
He added:
“Unfortunately many employers struggle to find quality candidates to fill their apprenticeships.
“The combination of literacy, numeracy, and real work experience in the framework will help to bridge this gap and enable many more motivated young people to meet employers’ standards.”
Responding to the launch of traineeships for 16-24 year olds, Mark Beatson, Chief Economist at the CIPD, said:
“Today’s announcement by the Skills Minister of the publication of a framework for delivery of traineeships for 16-24 year olds is a welcome development if it means that fewer young people fall through the gaps in the system and more find their way into high quality apprenticeships and continued education.”
