Employers will be paid £2,500 to recruit and train people who have been out of work for six months or longer, the government has announced.
Work and pensions secretary James Purnell revealed details of a £500m jobs rescue package at today’s Employment Summit.
As well as extra funds for Jobcentre Plus to provide more intensive and personalised support to the long-term unemployed, there will be:
- Golden hellos of up to £2,500 to employers that recruit and train unemployed people
- Extra funding for training places to help unemployed people get new skills to maximise their chances of getting jobs
- Volunteering opportunities, to help people back into work habits
- Advice on creating business plans, plus funding for the first months of trading.
Purnell said: “Today we have unveiled the next stage of help for jobseekers. There are still more than half a million jobs available, and employers are still recruiting – we will do everything we can to get people into those jobs.
“The£500m announced today will be used to guarantee extra support to everyone who reaches six months’ unemployment – we are determined to provide real help to people in these tough times. Our message is simple, the longer a person is out of work the harder we will work for them.”
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Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development chief economist John Philpott told Personnel Today last week that recruitment subsidies may be under consideration.
He added: “That’s the sort of thing that might be usefully applied after the worst of the recession is over as a way of stimulating the labour market more quickly.”
