HUNDREDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE STILL TO BENEFIT FROM WAGE SUBSIDY
A key objective of the Edinburgh Economic Strategy is to boost employment. The recent improvement in the Scottish economy means that small businesses in Edinburgh will look to expand and recruit.
Therefore 16-24 year olds are being encouraged by the City of Edinburgh Council to apply to a new scheme, the Edinburgh Jobs Fund. This is an Employer Recruitment Incentive that aims to support business growth whilst helping to alleviate youth unemployment.
The fund became active in July and already 16 young people are in post, with a further four posts going through recruitment. Twenty further employers are considering taking up this option.
Businesses with a genuine intention to keep young people in employment, will be refunded 50 per cent of the national minimum wage for at least 26 weeks.
The Council manages the new fund, provided by the Scottish Government through Youth Employment Scotland. It is part of a raft of measures that the Council are taking (including the Edinburgh Guarantee) to link employers with young recruits.
Cllr Frank Ross, Convener of the Economy Committee, said: “I would encourage businesses looking to recruit young people to take up this offer. Through the scheme the Council hopes to give Edinburgh’s young people the best start possible in their working live. Businesses will also benefit from the energy and skills of the next generation. So we are working hard with our partners across the city to ensure we successfully match candidates to the appropriate businesses.
The new fund build on the Edinburgh Guarantee programme, the council led partnership which aims to ensure every school leaver in the city has the choice of a job training or further education.”
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