Helping young people get back to work (From Warrington Guardian)

Helping young people get back to work

2:10pm Friday 3rd July 2009

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TO help young people back into work the Government launched the New Deal programme for those aged 18 to 24 who have claimed Jobseekers Allowance for six months.

At Warrington Job Centre, 23-year-old Phillip Loughe is part of the New Deal scheme.

He has been searching for work since being made redundant from his welder’s job last August but after having no luck he is concentrating on getting into a part-time college course to retrain.

He said: “I didn’t want to go on benefits. It’s grim, I really don’t like it.

“All the jobs I went for fell through at the last minute.

“Now I’m looking anywhere for anything, part time cleaning, anything.”

Phillip is applying for a carpentry and joinery course to start in September, but the fees are daunting at more than £500 per level for the three-level course.

He can get help with the fees if he is still on benefits, but that discourages him from seeking full time work.

For now he is applying for part- time jobs.

A Government subsidy voucher – that gives employers £60 per week towards the cost of the wages of a worker previously on New Deal – might help him secure a job and the JobCentre Plus can give up to £750 towards the cost of training such as health and safety.

Julie Evans, a New Deal coordinator, sees between 40 and 50 clients a week.

In fact, the programme is so busy that more staff are being recruited – one of whom was previously on the New Deal scheme.

“That’s one of my success stories,” said Julie.

The JobCentre at Nolan House is now so busy that the top floor, formerly the district office, is to be turned into extra office space for meetings and appointments with clients.

It is due to open in the next few months and will require staffing – welcome news for the thousands of jobseekers on the centre’s books.

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