Comment on Rachel Reeves’ Announcement About Guaranteed Job Placements For Young People Out Of Work For 18 Months Or More
STEVE ROBERTS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, GROUNDWORK NE & CUMBRIA
“Rachel Reeves’ announcement yesterday (Monday 29th October) about paid placements for young people resonated with us here at Groundwork NE & Cumbria, as we have been delivering this type of programme in the North East and Cumbria for over thirty years.
Creating meaningful and sustainable job opportunities for young people is at the heart of what we do. We have a proven track record in delivering programmes that get young people into work and help get them work-ready.
We don’t just run programmes, we buy into them and use them to help shape and invest in our own workforce. Many members of our team have come through the ranks after completing work placements and back-to-work schemes.
These initiatives are not about stripping people of their benefits, but about creating meaningful and genuine opportunities for young people that are well-managed and supported. They are also designed to help employers across different industry sectors to find and shape their next generation of recruits.
We are currently working in partnership with the North East Combined Authority to deliver several big programmes to provide paid work placements, work experience, and job-related support for young people across the region.
A key focus of these latest projects is innovation, building on what has worked in the past and testing and trialling new ways of delivery and engagement. Central to this
approach is evaluation and feedback from young people, which will be used to shape the programmes to achieve the best results.
We continue to work closely with employers across all industry sectors to understand their needs and find suitable recruits to fill work placements and job vacancies, while tailoring one-to-one support for young people, offering guidance where needed, and addressing health and wider social issues and problems to reduce drop-out rates.
Any partners in this region not currently working with us are welcome to contact me to discuss how we can help.”