North Ayrshire Launches £5,500 Youth Hiring Grants After 69 Placements Last Year
Updated
Updated · north-ayrshire.gov.uk · May 18
North Ayrshire Launches £5,500 Youth Hiring Grants After 69 Placements Last Year
2 articles · Updated · north-ayrshire.gov.uk · May 18
North Ayrshire Council has opened a new youth recruitment drive, asking local employers to create jobs for young people through its Personal Recruitment Incentive scheme.
Up to £5,500 is available per hire—covering 50% of the Real Living Wage for as much as 35 hours a week over 26 weeks—for candidates coming through the Your Next Move, Working North Ayrshire programme.
Last year’s scheme drew 47 employers, placed 69 young people into jobs and saw 25 retained by employers after completing their placements, figures the council is using to attract more businesses.
The Local Employability Partnership matches candidates with firms and provides interview and work-experience support, with recent participants Lucie Galloway and Kai-Roy Crawford both moving into permanent roles.
With its key funding source gone, can a successful youth employment scheme survive a major UK budget shift?
Does paying a 'real living wage' truly lift young people from poverty or just create fewer jobs overall?