Yesterday the Labour government boosted apprenticeships with Β£3k Youth Jobs Grant for employers who take on a young person unemployed for 6 months; and a Β£2k bonus for small and medium sized businesses taking on a young apprentice. An extension of long term unemployed jobs guarantee to 22-24 year-olds was also announced.
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I left school at 16 and started my career as an apprentice, my sons the same, so I know the difference they can make.
But weβve got to make apprenticeships work for young people leaving school. That isnβt happening and itβs contributing to the rate of young people not in education, work or training, something Iβve been campaigning on.
Why? Well given that young people leave school after their exams youβd expect most apprenticeships to quickly follow, they donβt. As it stands only about 16% of the nearly 100,000 vacancies were advertised when school leavers actually need them, from exams to the summer holiday.
Instead, the biggest peaks come in January and February, six months later! That mismatch just doesnβt make sense. Weβre asking young people to be ready for work, but the opportunities arenβt ready for them.
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Around 1,600 people in Oldham West, Chadderton & Royton started an apprenticeships last year, and it will give most the pathway to a rewarding career building confidence, skills and experience.
