City’s £30,000 Training Scheme To Help Young Unemployed

A £30,000 training scheme to help unemployed young people find work has been launched by Cambridge City Council and backed by MP Julian Huppert.

Five young people, aged between 16 and 21 will be offered paid six month traineeships with voluntary and community organisations which are in partnership with the city council.

The Young Project Workers Scheme will offer responsibility, some training and a positive short-term work placement to include on their CVs.

Support group, Young Lives will organise and run the scheme and trainees will be paid £6 an hour, just above the National Minimum Wage, for 22.5 hours a week.

Cllr Tim Bick
(LD, Market Ward)

Tim Bick, Cambridge City Executive Councillor for Community Development said: “Young people are having a particularly hard time trying to break into the job market and we hope this project will offer a chance to gain worthwhile skills to help make that task easier. Getting that first positive experience onto a CV can often be the most difficult obstacle to get past.

“It is designed to benefit the young people by offering them short-term employment on specific projects, gaining skills which will hopefully help them to find jobs

“At the same time, voluntary and community organisations will benefit from the extra staffing to develop or enhance a short-term project.”

Cambridge City Council is hoping the scheme can be combined with the government’s Youth Contract programme which offers 12 months subsidised placements, but only if the minimum wage level is maintained.

Julian Huppert, who won government backing this week for Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats’ scheme to provide free transport for young people searching for education, training or work, has applauded the Lib Dem controlled City Council for taking the initiative with this training project.

He said: “This is an excellent scheme. It has the potential not only to support young people who are finding it difficult to get onto the job ladder, but also community and voluntary organisations who have been struggling in these harsh economic times.

“Anything we can do to give young people the support and help they need to break into the job market is extremely worthwhile. I am delighted that Liberal Democrats on Cambridge City Council  have recognised the struggle facing our young people and taken positive action to tackle it head on.”