Hundreds of young people in the borough are set to benefit from a new government-backed programme offering paid jobs, training, and support to help them start their careers.
Ealing Council has approved a plan to administer the government’s Jobs Guarantee scheme across west London, which aims to reduce the number of young people not in employment, education, or training (NEET).
It will do that by offering funded 6-month paid jobs to eligible 18 to 24-year-olds who have been claiming Universal Credit and actively looking for work for 18 months. The young people taking part would work at least 25 hours a week, while also receiving tailored support and training to help them move into long-term employment.
The council will work with local employers to create paid job opportunities for young people. The employers will receive funding to cover wages, pension contributions, national insurance costs, and some onboarding expenses. Eligible costs can be reclaimed from the government. The council, acting on behalf of the West London Alliance (WLA), has secured a grant from the Department for Work and Pensions to cover the costs of reimbursing local employers.
Help for young people
Just 1.7% of 16–17-year-olds in the borough are not in employment, education, or training, which is one of the lowest NEET rates in London for that age group and reflects the work being done by local schools, the council, and its partners. However, 5.39% of local young people aged 16-24 who live here are claiming benefits while seeking work – a higher rate than both the London (4.97%) and national (4.52%) levels.
The Jobs Guarantee will support the council’s ambition to help more residents in all of the borough’s 7 towns into good, well-paid jobs, while also helping employers meet their workforce needs from within their local communities. It forms part of the government’s wider Youth Guarantee programme, which is designed to tackle youth unemployment and help more young people gain the skills and experience needed to build successful careers.
The scheme will help young people facing the greatest barriers to employment, including poor mental health, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and care experience. The scheme is intended to help remove those barriers by combining paid employment with tailored support.
Based on current estimates, more than 500 young people could take part in the programme across the borough. It is expected that the first referrals to the programme could begin from November.
‘The chance to build a successful future’
Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, the council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes, said: “Every young person deserves the chance to build a successful future. The Jobs Guarantee scheme has the potential to help some of our most vulnerable young residents gain valuable work experience, develop new skills, and take the first steps towards a long-term career.
“We want more residents to be able to earn a decent living and share fairly in the opportunities available across our borough. By working with employers, we can make sure that support reaches those who need it most and give more young people the confidence, skills, and experience to succeed.”
