Young people to get green-fingered apprenticeships
Communities Secretary John Denham announced plans to recruit 175
green-fingered apprentices to get parks and gardens growing in some of the
country's most deprived areas.
Councils will be inviting budding horticulturists to apply for green
apprenticeships as part of the government's drive to tackle the number of
young people Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET). The scheme
aims to help young people develop new 'green' skills that will lead to
future full time employment.
As part of the announcement, Mr Denham will put another £700,000 into
the pot to create 175 council horticulture apprenticeships following the
overwhelming response to last year's launch that created 47
apprenticeships.
Today, only around 5 per cent of 16 year olds are NEET - the lowest for
over a decade. Despite this Mr Denham, in a speech to the Local Government
Association, was clear that 'We cannot be complacent, in the downturn we
need to redouble our efforts to address this problem'.
Mr Denham outlined three areas where all councils should follow the example
of the best - helping create more apprenticeship places; taking advantage
of the huge financial support from Government; and demonstrating their
public and practical commitment by signing up to the Backing Young Britain
campaign.
Campaign launched to give young people in the East
Midlands their first break
Minister for the East Midlands Phil Hope MP issued a call to action to
businesses and other organisations to give the region’s young people
their “first break.” That could be an apprenticeship, a work
trial, a voluntary place, a work placement or an internship.
Or, employers could consider bidding for one of the 100,000 jobs available
for young people from the Future Jobs Fund or engage in a Local Employment
Partnership.
Mr. Hope has teamed up with JobCentre Plus, the Learning and Skills
Council, the National Apprenticeship Service and The Prince’s Trust
for the Backing Young East Midlands campaign.
Backing Young East Midlands will see a programme of activity over the
coming weeks and months to bring more employers forward with opportunities
for young people.
£1m boost for young people to turn enterprise
ideas into business
The £1 million from the Department for Business, Innovation and
Skills will enable youth charity, The Prince’s Trust, to help
unemployed young people explore the viability of their business plans,
develop their initial ideas and bring their businesses to life.
In the next five months, 630 young people will take part in The
Prince’s Trust’s new ‘Be Enterprising’
course. The Prince’s Trust expects that 270 young people will
see their own business come to life through the course, with others moving
in to other work, education and training. Fifty young people who have
already successfully set up a business with help from The Prince’s
Trust will become Young Ambassadors, to inspire other young people to be
enterprising – particularly in the most deprived areas of England.
Employers guarantee facilities for cyclists
More than 70 major public and private sector employers are today pledging
to implement a new “cycle to work” guarantee in a bid to
transform the numbers cycling to work.
By signing up to the new ‘Cycle to Work Guarantee’, public and
private sector employers are committing to provide their staff with safe
bike storage, changing facilities and access to the Government’s
generous tax break scheme - 'Cycle to Work' - for new bikes and cycling
equipment. Evidence from employers already providing such support for their
staff shows that it dramatically increases the proportion who cycle to
work.
The Cycle to Work Guarantee is being promoted by Government and employers
together to offer employees a healthy and green option to get to and from
work. Typically, a third or more of staff of large urban employers live
within half an hour bike ride of their place of work, but only about 3 per
cent currently cycle to work.
Most central Government Departments have signed up as well as major
companies including BSkyB, EON and GSK. Dozens of local authorities
and hospitals have also agreed to commit to the Guarantee, which is aimed
at large employers. Other large employers will now be invited to follow
suit.
