Government and businesses unite to back young Britain
30 July 2009
A new campaign - 'Backing Young Britain' – uniting business and government to create thousands of opportunities for young people was launched yesterday by Lord Mandelson, Ed Balls, Yvette Cooper, and John Denham.
The Backing Young Britain campaign aims to encourage employers all over the country to do everything possible to give young people the help they need to find a job, training or work skills and experience. It aims to bring businesses and public / voluntary sectors together to ensure that the valuable skills of young people aren't being wasted.
Two new websites have been launched:
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What's next? - offering advice to school and college leavers, Graduates and finding your first job; and,
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Backing Young Britain - bringing organisations across the country together to make a commitment to back young Britain.
Launching the campaign, Ministers announced £40 million to fund over 20,000 additional internships so that graduates and non graduates can get higher quality work experience, as well as a new mentoring network to help young people find their feet in a tough jobs market. Young people will also get more help from day one of unemployment through job clubs and 1-2-1 support in job centres for those leaving education this summer.
Ministers also announced the first 47,000 youth jobs supported by the Future Jobs Fund for young people who are unable to find work or training within a year.
View the release from the Department for Work and Pensions