JTL Blog


Funding boost helps the young unemployed

Apprentice and Employer

Have you heard? Employers can now apply for a £1,000 cash boost to help them take on new trainees. The launch of the incentive scheme follows the Chancellor’s Plan for Jobs announcement last summer, which included an additional £111 million investment to support the largest-ever expansion of traineeships, so more young people have the skills and confidence they need to progress in their careers.

What is a Traineeship?

Traineeships give young people in England, aged 16- 24, an exciting opportunity to develop skills and confidence to take their first steps into their chosen career. It can be useful for people who have not yet gained an apprenticeship, as well as successful apprenticeship candidates who are still waiting to be placed with an employer.

The highly successful Traineeship programme has already helped nearly 120,000 young people get on the path to a great career since 2013. Recent government figures reveal that 66% of trainees get a job, take up an apprenticeship or go on to further study within six months of completing their programme.

A JTL Traineeship is available to young people aged 16-18 and typically lasts between 10-16 weeks. The programmes focuses on developing vital employability skills, alongside additional English, maths and digital skills, combined with a work placement lasting a minimum of 70 hours.

Lindsay Talks, JTL’s product manager discusses all things Traineeships, from what the programme is to how JTL can support both the employee and trainee over on our blog, here.

Funding boost

Last month (January), Apprenticeships and Skills Minister, Gillian Keegan announced that the £1,000 cash boost scheme will expand even further, giving thousands more young people the opportunity to gain the skills they need to begin their future careers as we all rebuild from the effects of Covid-19.

Gillian Keegan said: “We’re pulling out all the stops to help young people get the skills and confidence they need to progress. This cash boost will help employers of all sizes provide more traineeship opportunities, to invest in their workforce so they can rebuild and grow, giving young people a vital route to start their apprenticeship journey, get their first job or go on to further study”.

The cash boost, which is available until 31 July 2021, will support businesses with the cost of providing a high-quality work placement for a trainee. This includes providing facilities, uniforms or helping with travel costs.

Businesses offering new traineeship opportunities will receive the £1,000 bonus for every trainee they take on with up to a maximum of 10 trainees per region (so potentially up to 90). Employers can claim the cash incentive for all work placements that have been completed since 1 September 2020. You can apply for a cash boost by using the registration form available here.

 

Taking on a trainee with JTL

A Traineeship is an effective way to demonstrate your company’s commitment to improving the competency and quality of the talent within the trades. By giving young people their first opportunity to gain valuable work experience in the workplace, they’ll be better equipped to begin a targeted apprenticeship programme that will lead to a professional career.

We currently deliver our Traineeship programme in London, Kent, Nottingham and Birmingham with plans to expand this in the near future. However, we have the flexibility for larger cohorts to arrange training outside of these locations to cater to employer business needs.

Watch our 5-minute video and hear directly from an employer about the JTL Traineeship programme, what it is all about and what to expect as an employer.

The Traineeship programme will begin delivery again from March with a blended delivery approach. To discuss your requirements for a placement opportunity, call one of our Employability Trainers on 0800 085 2308 or fill in our enquiry form.

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