£60m youth jobs package unveiled
David Cameron wants to reverse the trend of rising youth unemployment
The Government has moved to tackle rising youth unemployment by announcing a £60 million package aimed at boosting work prospects and "transforming" vocational education.
With youth unemployment nearing a million, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister issued a commitment to get more vulnerable youngsters into work by tackling some of the long term "structural barriers" they said stopped some young people starting their career.
The Government said it will provide funding for up to 250,000 more apprenticeships over the next four years, and fund 100,000 work placements over the next two years.
Ministers also announced that more than 100 large firms and tens of thousands of small companies around the country had pledged to offer work experience places.
Measures in a new paper called Supporting Youth Employment are designed to ensure that young people have the opportunity to get work, advance their career prospects and encourage social mobility and help fill some of the 500,000 vacancies in the job market, said ministers.
For the full story read: £60m Youth Jobs Package
Sunday, 15 May 2011
News: More Graduates taking low-skill jobs
More graduates taking low-skill jobs
University leavers have faced a tough jobs market since the economic downturn
University leavers are increasingly taking non-graduate jobs, according to research.
Six months after leaving university, about 40% of last year's graduates were "underemployed" in lower-skilled jobs, up from about 30% four years before.
The research, published by the Association of Accounting Technicians, says new graduates have been among the worst hit by the economic downturn.
A degree remains a "good investment", says a government spokesman.
The research, carried out by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, forecasts a worsening jobs market for graduates who will leave this summer.
For the full story visit: More Graduates taking low-skill jobs
News: Apprenticeships v Degrees
Degree or apprenticeship: which works best in the job market?
With fees rocketing, the cachet of a degree is becoming too expensive - and may not lead to a job. We asked employers for their views on old-fashioned work experience
The head of McDonald's in Britain caused quite a stir last week when she suggested that some school leavers would be better off getting a job in a burger joint than going to university. Jill McDonald, who coincidentally shares a name with her employer, called for an end to education "snobbery", arguing that university was not for everybody and promoting apprenticeships at companies such as hers as a good alternative.
It's easy to sneer at this sentiment, and plenty of commentators did. But with 42% of this summer's university graduates expected to take jobs that do not require a degree - known as being "under-employed" - and plans for undergraduate fees to jump to £9,000 a year, would-be students and their parents are increasingly asking if it's worth going to university at all.
This, in turn, is prompting companies to look at ways to bring in more school leavers, predominantly through apprenticeships. They have differing motives for wanting to do so, but most say they want to ensure that they do not lose out on any talent that cannot afford to go to university, as well as broaden the diversity of their workforces.
For the full story visit: Apprenticeships v Degrees
Friday, 1 April 2011
The Future of Careers Advice
News from the: The CV and Job Store (Jobs in Education and Training)Brian Lightman: warned that schools and colleges are in the dark about the future of IAG.
Speaking at a national conference on the future of information, advice and guidance (IAG) services for young people, Brian Lightman urged the government not to turn away from offering face-to-face careers advice for young people. "There is so much uncertainty. At the moment the all-age careers service is looking like an all-age website and telephone service, and at best an all-age franchise," he said. "That is not the way to structure this really important area of activity."
Lightman warned that schools and colleges are in the dark about the future of IAG.
"Schools and colleges desperately need more information from the government," he explained. "We have persuaded skills minister John Hayes to write to schools about what is actually happening but I'm afraid a lot of it hasn't been decided yet."
He called on government to set out a coherent plan for careers advice in schools, rather than leaving everything to local determination.
Read the full story here: The Future of Careers Advice
Friday, 4 March 2011
Competition Winner
Well done to our monthly WINNER!
I was thrilled to get the call to tell me I'd won a Tom Tom Sat Nav as I had recently registered on CV and Job Store and was selected from their monthly prize draw!
As a job seeker, I have registered with CV and Job Store as it is really easy to navigate with great graphics and search filters and is relevant to my particular job search i.e. is dedicated to the education and training industry.
Given that I am a passionate training professional with a strong background in multi-site organisations within the retail and hospitality sectors, I have uploaded my CV on the website and am looking forward to talking with recruiters looking to fill education and training positions in their organisations.
Andrea Taylor
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award affected by cuts
King George V Sixth-Form College may have to axe its Duke of Edinburgh's award scheme, being taken by more than 60 students. College principals were still reeling from the news that the EMA was being scrapped when the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) announced that so-called entitlement funding, which covers the cost of pastoral care, tutorials and extracurricular activities for 16- to 19-year-olds, was also to be cut. The news, which slipped out quietly just a few days before Christmas, came as a big blow for college leaders. Many were left wondering how they would fund the extras, such as work experience and volunteering programmes, that make all the difference in getting young people into work and higher education.
Chopping back the annual provision from 114 to 30 funded hours will hit students hard at all levels, say principals. For the full story visit the CV and Job Store News Page
Jobcentre Plus Restructure
A new "Central England" group will be created that incorporates the East and West Midlands, as well as the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. Yorkshire & Humber and the North East will be merged into a new "North East England" group. London, meanwhile, will be merged with the Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Essex, and Kent creating a new "London and the Home Counties" group. The previous South West and South East regions (excluding Kent) will be merged into a new "Southern England" group. Scotland, Wales and the North West will remain unchanged. For the full story visit the CV and Job Store News Page
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)