News: Rotherham businesses urged to make the most of new £3,000 youth jobs grant

Businesses are being encouraged to take advantage of a new government-backed Youth Jobs Grant, offering employers £3,000 for every eligible young person they recruit.

The Youth Jobs Grant was launched following a Downing Street roundtable that brought together government ministers and leading hospitality businesses to support the rollout of the scheme. The funding aims to help up to 60,000 young people aged 18 to 24 take their first steps into work over the next three years while giving employers practical financial support to recruit new talent.

Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the initiative, recognising the opportunity it presents for businesses to invest in young people while helping to tackle ongoing recruitment challenges.

The Chamber also believes the grant comes at an important time. Recent findings from the South Yorkshire Quarterly Economic Survey show many businesses continue to face rising employment costs, increased taxation and weakening business confidence, making recruitment decisions more challenging despite a strong appetite to grow and create jobs.

Eligible employers can receive £3,000 for every qualifying young person they recruit. It is aimed at young people aged 18 to 24 who has been on Universal Credit and looking for work for six months or more. Roles must be at least 25 hours per week and expected to last a minimum of four months.

The grant complements a wider package of employer support, including apprenticeship funding, employer incentives, wage subsidies and skills programmes designed to help businesses recruit, develop and retain talented people.

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Allen Simpson, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said: "Hospitality is a sector that offers opportunities for anyone, particularly when it comes to helping people back into work.

"The Youth Jobs Grant is a positive initiative to reduce the cost of employment, create more opportunities and support hospitality businesses.

"I’ve been pleased to work with the Government on this and bring together businesses today to discuss how the sector can engage with the Youth Guarantee. The Youth Jobs Grant and the Jobs Guarantee are the key measures in the Government’s £2.5 billion drive to back young people into jobs, skills and opportunity. The Jobs Guarantee, which provides fully subsidised jobs for six months, with the government covering 100% of employment costs, to eligible young people will support more than 1,000 young people across six areas as part of a pilot."

The Jobs Guarantee was set for a national rollout across Great Britain. In six pilot areas it provided fully funded six-month paid work for young people aged 18 to 24.

Shane Young, Operations Director at Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, said: “South Yorkshire businesses want to recruit, invest and create opportunities for local people, but many continue to face significant financial pressures. The Youth Jobs Grant is a positive step that reduces some of the cost of taking on new talent and could give many SMEs the confidence to create roles that might otherwise have been delayed.

“Supporting young people into work is not only the right thing to do, it is an investment in the future workforce our businesses need. However, financial incentives work best when they are part of a wider, long-term approach to developing skills and supporting employers.

“Through the next phase of the South Yorkshire Local Skills Improvement Plan, we are continuing to work with businesses, education providers and partners to ensure local training reflects employer needs. By combining initiatives like the Youth Jobs Grant with apprenticeships and local employment programmes, we can help businesses grow while creating more opportunities for young people across our region.”

As the designated Employer Representative Body for the South Yorkshire Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber continues to work with employers, education providers and partners across South Yorkshire to ensure local skills provision reflects the needs of business. The next phase of the LSIP will build on this work by strengthening employer engagement, improving pathways into employment and helping address the skills shortages affecting key sectors across the region.

Alongside the Youth Jobs Grant, employers are also encouraged to explore local initiatives such as Pathways to Work Rotherham, which provides wage subsidy support to eligible employers while helping local people gain the skills, confidence and experience needed to move into sustainable employment.

Through the Employment Solutions team in Rotherham, the Wage Subsidy Scheme supports employers to recruit young people with a paid job role for up to three months that is intended to lead to sustainable employment.

Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber website
Employment Solutions website

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News: Funding boost for Connect to Work scheme

A grant funding agreement has been signed that will see £35.3m to help thousands of sick or disabled people into good, secure jobs in South Yorkshire.

A new £338m investment into the Connect to Work programme will deliver localised, tailored support to over 85,000 people who are sick, disabled or face complex barriers to work in 15 areas across England.

The scheme provides intensive, personalised help including individual coaching from employment specialists, job matching services, and ongoing support for both participants and employers to ensure sustainable employment outcomes.

In all around 300,000 people across all of England and Wales are set to benefit over the next five years. To access support, sick and disabled people and those facing complex barriers to work can self-refer or they can be referred through various routes including healthcare professionals, local authorities, and voluntary sector partners.

With 2.8 million people out of work due to ill-health – one of the highest rates in the G7 – it’s part of the Government’s plan to get Britain working again and deliver an 80% employment rate by overhauling jobcentres, tackling economic inactivity through local plans, and delivering a Youth Guarantee so every young person is either earning or learning.

Among those out of work, over one in four cite sickness as a barrier - more than double the 2012 figure of one in ten - highlighting the urgent need for tailored employment support that removes barriers faced by disabled people and those with health conditions.

Economic inactivity in Rotherham is higher (27%) than in South Yorkshire, statistical neighbours and the national average (21%). This is driven by higher economic inactivity among women, residents aged 50-64, and ethnic minorities.

Long-term sickness is the leading reason for inactivity. Rotherham has the highest rates of inactivity due to long-term sickness (35%) and retirement (14%) among comparator areas.

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Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said: "For too long, millions of people have been denied the support they need to get back to health and back to work.

"It’s bad for their living standards, it’s bad for their families, and it’s bad for the economy.

"That’s why we’re taking decisive action by investing millions of pounds so sick or disabled people can overcome the barriers they face and move out of poverty and into good, secure jobs as part of our Plan for Change."

The five-year programme launched recently and Connect to Work in South Yorkshire is part of the Pathways to Work system, ensuring alignment and a coordinated one-system approach to employment support services on offer. Up to £35.3m has been secured, helping 9,950 participants across Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, and Doncaster into work.

The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority is the accountable body, working in partnership with the local councils. The authority has contracted organisations to deliver support - £7,413,744 with South Yorkshire Housing Association and 4,942,496 with The Shaw Trust.

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said: "I want South Yorkshire to be a place where we all thrive. Where poor health doesn’t hold us back. And work plays a huge part. It’s not just about wages - it’s about dignity, pride, and the security that comes from knowing you can support yourself and your family.

"Right now, more than 140,000 people across South Yorkshire aren’t in work. But many of those people desperately want to have a job, want to provide for their families, and contribute to the future of our communities. Which is why I’m proud that South Yorkshire is one of the areas across England and Wales delivering Connect to Work.

"It’s a programme designed to help those with disabilities, long-term health conditions, or from disadvantaged backgrounds, into good, secure jobs. And I’m even prouder that Connect to Work is part of the national Pathways to Work project, which we pioneered right here in South Yorkshire.

"South Yorkshire’s at the forefront of tackling these challenges nationally, and we’re increasingly a model for other places across the country."

Rotherham Employment Solutions website

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News: Funding secured to address long-term unemployment

A multi-million pound initiative of early intervention is set to help prevent people from long-term unemployment in the Sheffield city region (SCR) after Government funding was confirmed.

The SCR Early Intervention Pilot seeks to test a city region solution for the long established and well evidenced issue that long term unemployment is prevalent amongst those individuals with multiple and complex barriers.

Up to £5m of investment from the Work and Health Unit Innovation Fund is set to come into the city region across the next five years. Up to £28m has been committed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for six initiatives across the country.

3,000 people in the SCR are expected to be supported although the Combined Authority was hoping to match the Government funding with European Structural and Investment Funds to create a pilot with £11m of funding to deliver support to over 5,000 SCR residents.

The delivery of the service is built around Employment Advisors and the pilot is set to test whether early referral to support for those with complex needs reduces incidence of long term unemployment and if a co-ordinated local approach reduces welfare benefits and other service dependence.

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David Gauke, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said: "We have record numbers of people in work which is great news, but there are still people missing out on the available opportunities because of barriers to employment.

"These pilots are yet another step forward in our efforts to help people of all backgrounds enjoy the benefits of work, and will boost the wide ranging support we currently offer through local experts like Jobcentre Plus."

Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Borough Council and Chair of the Sheffield City Region Skills, Employment and Education Board, said: "I am very pleased to see this pilot, which will help underpin the inclusive approach of the Sheffield City Region. We are in the vanguard of this work. As we see the numbers of our high value jobs growing we are ensuring that no one in our communities misses out on this growth."

Nigel Brewster, Vice Chair of the SCR Local Enterprise Partnership and Co-Chair of Skills, Employment and Education board, added: "This is a visionary exercise. Employers want the best people, and they are very keen to see help for those who face hurdles getting into work. This scheme will benefit the whole region."

Last year, the SCR was selected, alongside the West Midlands, to design a pioneering trial from the Government's Work and Health Innovation Fund focused on mental health and musculoskeletal conditions, the two conditions most commonly reported by those out of work.

ONS figures show that in June 2017, 5,175 claimants of Job Seeker's Allowance in the SCR had been claiming for over a year, with over 3,000 of them signing on for over two years. The number of long term unemployed (claiming for over a year) had been as high as 13,000 in 2013.

The SCR scheme is designed to help people who are in the first year of claiming a benefit; who have multiple barriers; likely to be 19-21 care leavers; people with learning difficulties; and people with multiple needs including mental health, physical health, homelessness/unstable accommodation, substance abuse, domestic violence, ex-offenders.

Where Job Centres may not have the resources to help people with more complex issues, now services are being brought together to tackle multiple issues in a coordinated way for example, services that deal with debt, housing, care, skills, employer engagement and support, advice services, money management, lifestyle and motivational coaching.

SCR LEP website

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News: Darron SBO continues to take on passionate engineers

Rotherham precision machining specialist, Darron SBO has found its next apprentice through a employability programme which included an eye-opening two weeks at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) Training Centre.

Darron manufactures a range of high quality components which are supplied to the oil and gas industries. Part of the Schoeller-Bleckmann Group, its Canklow facility has modern machine tools and state of the art manufacturing capabilities. The downhole tools specialist also uses the state of the art facilities at the AMRC Training Centre on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham to help develop the apprentices it requires.

15 out of work 20 to 25 year olds took part in the JobCentre Plus programme which included time in the AMRC Training Centre workshop, getting a feel for what apprenticeships and engineering are all about, in addition to improving their interview, CV writing and personal skills with the Sheffield-based, employer-led Work-Wise Foundation.

Sam Jackson (22) enjoyed his two weeks at the Training Centre so much that he decided to apply for an apprenticeship through the Centre. He said: "It was a really, really life changing opportunity and pointed me in the right direction. Two weeks at the AMRC Training Centre made my mind up. It was something I definitely wanted to do. It was brilliant."

After successfully attending one of the centre's rigorous assessment days he secured an interview with Darron SBO, where he went on to impress.

Denis Smith, head of quality control at Darron SBO, said: "We saw four or five candidates and Sam definitely stood out.

"Engineering is all about passion. All the experienced machinists we have got on site have a passion about their work and a pride in what they do.

"Sam brought examples of the work he had done at the AMRC Training Centre, explained how he had made them and was glowing with pride for what he had achieved."

Sam begins his Darron SBO sponsored AMRC apprenticeship next month and will begin working to secure a Level 2 NVQ in Performing Engineering Operations on the way to studying for a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Engineering as an Advanced Apprentice before joining Darron SBO's 80-strong shop floor workforce.

Kerry Featherstone, head of operations at the AMRC Training Centre, said: "We were delighted to be able to work with JobCentre Plus and Work-Wise to give these young people an understanding of the opportunities that are available in engineering.

"Sam's success shows that even if you left school some time ago and have been out of work for a while, you could still become an apprentice and work towards a career in the advanced manufacturing sector.

"We were able to run the two week engineering taster while our full time apprentices were taking a summer break. We hope to be able to repeat the exercise in future so that more people out of work and in their 20s can learn about the possibilities in engineering."

Darron SBO website
AMRC Training Centre

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News: New Rotherham Tesco open for Christmas

The new £40m Tesco Extra store in Rotherham town centre is on track to be open and trading before Christmas.

South Yorkshire's largest property investment deal for the past two years, has seen developers TCN UK Ltd, bring forward the 110,000 sq ft superstore, which also includes 540 parking spaces and a petrol filling station, on a five-acre site that was home to a number of council buildings.

ISG, the international construction services company, secured the £19m contract to build the new store and the project also includes £4m worth of public realm improvements and massive revisions to road and utilities infrastructure.

The development is set to create 450 jobs (200 full time and 250 part time). 200 of these are additional to the current store on Forge Island and all staff at the current store would be guaranteed a job at the new site. A proportion of vacancies will be filled through Tesco's "Regeneration Partnership" which, in partnership with the local Job Centre Plus, ensures a proportion of vacancies are reserved for long term unemployed people.

TCN UK Ltd bought the site from Rotherham Council for £7.3m and private property investor fund Osprey Income and Growth 2 LP purchased the development with the backing of £16.9m of equity from private investors and £23.75m of debt from HSBC Bank.

The UK development was unaffected by the Dutch parent company of TCN being made bankrupt in 2012 due to its complex property investments across Europe.

Stephen Holme, development director of TCN UK Ltd, said: "We are on schedule to allow Tesco access to the store in August so that fit-out of the store can begin.

"This is one of the most important development projects for Rotherham town centre over the past ten years and will bring a significant volume of jobs to the region as well as opening the area up for further investment. It ranks as the biggest development deal in South Yorkshire in the last two years."

Mark Thomas, spokesperson for Tesco, added: "It's fantastic to see such progress being made with our Rotherham store. This will be a major boost for the town, bringing hundreds of jobs and playing a big role in the area's ongoing regeneration.

"We're delighted to have already been working with the community on artwork for the store and will continue to play an active role in Rotherham. We're really looking forward to welcoming customers later this year."

The council is looking at ways to capitalise on Tesco's move across town, currently considering the findings of an independent study into the future of the adjacent markets complex and targeting the former Tesco site on Forge Island for a cinema and possible new theatre development.

Karl Battersby, strategic director for environment and development services at Rotherham Council, said: "This is one of the last stores of this scale to be built nationally, and the scale of the investment shows real confidence in Rotherham.

"We have worked hard with Tesco to integrate the store into the town centre and its opening will represent the delivery of another key Rotherham Renaissance project. The story does not end here though - as the authority will continue to dedicate its resources to the town centre."

Tesco, the UK's number one retailer, saw a 6% decline in trading profit in the year to February 2014, but still made £3.3bn. Changes in shopping habits and the growing popularity of online and convenience stores, saw Tesco reign in large out of town developments. It now has plans for 700,000 sq ft of new space this year – half of the 1.4m sq ft last year.

Tesco website
TCN UK website

Images: TCN UK Ltd / Tom Austen

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News: Community work placements in Rotherham

Interserve Working Futures has secured the government contract to help the long-term unemployed in South Yorkshire gain valuable work experience.

The new scheme – Help to Work – will give Jobcentre staff a new range of options to support the hardest to help get off benefits and into work.

Starting from June 2014, Community Work Placements will be one of three intensive options that Jobcentre Plus advisers can consider for Jobseeker's Allowance claimants who return from the Work Programme.

Claimants who lack work experience - and where this is felt to be holding them back from finding a job - may be asked to undertake a placement, which will also benefit their local community. This would include a range of roles in the voluntary and community sector that will give the claimant skills and experience within the work place. This could include gardening projects, running community cafes or even restoring historical sites and war memorials.

The placements will be for up to six months for 30 hours a week and will be backed up by at least four hours of supported job searching each week to help turn the experience into full time employment.

It will be for claimants who encounter multiple barriers to work and who would benefit from relevant and current work experience to help them back into sustainable employment.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: "A key part of our long-term economic plan is to move to full employment, making sure that everyone who can work is in work. We are seeing record levels of employment in Britain, as more and more people find a job, but we need to look at those who are persistently stuck on benefits. This scheme will provide more help than ever before, getting people into work and on the road to a more secure future."

Bob Vince, developments director at Interserve, said: "We are delighted to have been awarded these contracts, which will enable us to use our experience in this area to help job seekers add relevant skills to their CV's and provide sustainable employment opportunities for many people. We have strong relationships with many voluntary sector partners who can assist us in the delivery of this."

The cabinet at Rotherham Council recently discussed a local review into the government's Work Programme, which provides support, work experience and training for up to two years to help the long term unemployed (over three months) find and stay in work.

The report raised the issue of sanctions and stated that communication with claimants needed to be improved; a degree of local flexibility should be introduced; vulnerable claimants should be able to access one to one support; and a local working protocol should be established with the aim of ensuring complete fairness in the process of implementing sanctions in Rotherham.

The two Work Programme prime contractors for South Yorkshire – Serco and A4e - were invited to take part in the review either by giving evidence at meetings or answering written questions. Both turned down the opportunity to provide evidence and to have their input considered by the review, with A4e taking the view – based on advice from their Department for Work and Pensions account manager - that it would be inappropriate to respond to the panel's questions.



Images: Department for Work and Pensions

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News: Extra time for Job Club

The Rotherham United Community Sports Trust (RUCST) has been awarded a grant of £1,440 from UK Steel Enterprise so it can carry on running its Job Club. The Job Club is a programme that acts as a drop in session which allows members of the public to gain advice on CV writing and interview tips, in order to help them find employment. 

The Job Club ran a 20 week pilot programme in partnership with The Job Centre Plus which proved a huge success in 2013. The programme managed to help seven people gain jobs, four people go into higher education and a further two people gain volunteering experience.

Zanib Rasool MBE, community project manager for RUCST, said: "We have had great success over the summer with most of the people coming to us now in either full or part time employment. Basically if we did not have the grant from UK Steel we could not pay our tutor and even though we have used volunteers before we can’t carry on like that, so it’s great that we now have the funds to carry on making a difference in Rotherham."

The Jobshop takes place every Thursday at New York Stadium and is run on an informal proactive basis with a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. It is supported by Jobcentre Plus and the National Careers Service. It has also recently held sessions in other communities.

Allan Wood is Regional Executive for UK Steel Enterprise and says that RUCST fits perfectly with UK Steel Enterprise's social corporate responsibility ethics. He said: "We are committed to supporting community organisations that help people get into employment and this project has proved quite clearly that it can do that and that there is a demand for its services. It would be a shame to see a successful project like this close, which is why we are delighted to be able to support it."

UK Steel Enterprise is a subsidiary of Tata Steel that invests in growing businesses within the South Yorkshire area. It also supports community based organisations and helps them to make a positive difference within communities that have been affected by the changes to the UK's steel industry. UK Steel Enterprise has strong links with regeneration and community support projects through its work with South Yorkshire Community Foundation (SYCF).

Rotherham United website
UK Steel Enterprise website

Images: RUCST

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News: £5m youth jobs boost for Sheffield city region

The Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Cities Minister Greg Clark will today announce investment of £5m to help young people into jobs in the Sheffield city region.

England's eight core cities and 20 wave two cities were invited to submit proposals earlier this year for a share of up to £50m. The people behind the proposal had to prove they will be able to deliver innovative schemes explicitly designed to tackle the problem of youth unemployment.

£5m will be used in the Sheffield city region to offer intensive advisor and mentor-led support for young people, alongside a bespoke, employer-led training programme aimed at equipping young people with the right skills for local jobs.

The funding is from the Government's £1 billion Youth Contract, launched in April 2012 in response to the challenge of youth unemployment. It aims to provide nearly half-a-million new opportunities for 18-24 year olds, including apprenticeships and voluntary work experience placements. Support includes wage incentives worth up to £2,275 each for companies that employ an eligible 18 to 24 year old through Jobcentre Plus or from the Work Programme.

Deputy Prime Minister and Sheffield MP Nick Clegg (pictured, second left) said: "Helping young people succeed is crucial to our economic recovery. That is why I am pleased to announce this cash for cities to invest in getting more young people into jobs.

"This is a multi-million pound cash boost for the future prosperity of our young workforce and, making our society fairer so that everyone has the chance to get on in life.

"Investment like this, paired with a determination to tackle youth unemployment by our great cities, has the genuine power to change the fortunes of young people across the region, whether it's with extra training, improving education or apprenticeships."

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Nigel Brewster, board member on the The Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and managing director at Brewster Pratap Recruitment Consultants, added: "Today's announcement is as good news for business as it is for young people.

"The Sheffield City Region LEP is squarely focused on economic growth – and this innovative programme will help give our businesses the skills they need to grow.

"Business leaders, myself included, have been working closely with councils and education providers to build this very specific programme aimed at matching young people with the right skills to meet the future needs of Sheffield city region's business."

Through the City Deal with government, the Sheffield city region is creating an apprenticeship model to tackle youth unemployment. An apprenticeship hub hopes to create 4,000 additional apprenticeships over the next three years.

Latest figures show that there were 12,965 (or 7.2% of) young people aged 18 - 24 claiming Job Seeker's Allowance in the city region in October 2013. Over 2,000 have been claiming for between six and 12 months and over 3,000 have been claiming for over a year.

Youth Contract website

Images: ODPM

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News: Key2Work in Rotherham and the Dearne Valley

Labour Market Solutions Ltd, part of The Phoenix Group of Companies, have been awarded grant funding from Jobcentre Plus to promote to employers in Rotherham and the Dearne Valley their Wage Incentive Scheme which is worth £2,275 for each young person employed.

The programme, named Key2Work, will work with employers to fill vacancies with young people aged between 18 – 24 that are job ready and wanting to work. By taking on one of these pre-selected young people the employer could be entitled to payment of up to £2,275 per young person.

Key2Work has four marketing and sales consultants who will be contacting local employers to highlight the benefits of hiring young people who will attract the wage incentive, vacancies have to be for 16 hours or more and expected to last at least for 26 weeks. Once they have found the right person, they also assist companies in finding suitable training if required.

The young people are being referred from Jobcentre Plus to Key2Work where they will be interviewed by the consultants to establish which roles or vacancies will best suit them.

Paula Hamilton, manager at Labour Market Solutions, said: "The young people that have been referred from Job Centre have been of a very high standard, because this programme is voluntary everyone referred has a genuine desire to move into the job market, they just need a helping hand in the current economic climate."

The contract is run in partnership with Job Centre Plus using European Social Funds via their Flexible Support Fund and will run until the end of April 2014. Anyone wanting more information about the programme or has a vacancy that they want help filling please call 01709 786410 for more information.

Other parts of the group include Phoenix Enterprises, a social enterprise that helps increase employability and overcome social exclusion. As an expert provider in the Welfare to Work sector locally, Phoenix Enterprises has been carefully selected by one of the Jobcentre Plus prime contractors, Serco, to deliver part of the Governemnt's Work Programme across South Yorkshire on its behalf.

Ways2Work provide a wide range of services including advice on skills development and training, job matching and vacancy advertising. Its contracts include delivering the Skills Support for Unemployed in South Yorkshire for Dearne Valley College and Skills Support for Redundancy in South Yorkshire for Barnsley College.

Phoenix Enterprises website

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News: Employers urged to help Feed Britain's Future

Rotherham employers in the food sector are being urged to get involved in a national campaign to tackle youth unemployment.

The Institute of Grocer Distribution's (IGD's) "Feeding Britain's Future" initiative pledges 12,000 training places for young unemployed people that would see them given the opportunity to go into farms, factories and stores for free skills training.

During September businesses across the industry's supply chain will open their doors to provide training such as CV and interview skills masterclasses, job search advice and site visits.

Over 100 businesses from across the food and grocery sector have already pledged support, including Greencore and KP Snacks, two large Rotherham employers. The IGD, a charity supporting the consumer goods industry, in partnership with Jobcentre Plus, the industry and Government is calling for more businesses – large and small - to sign up.

Joanne Denney-Finch, chief executive of IGD, said: "The food and grocery industry is Britain's largest private sector employer, accounting for one in seven of all jobs, employing 3.7m people. It is an industry in which it's possible to run your own successful business or start from the bottom and get to the very top – even with very few qualifications.

"For the month of September we want as many businesses as possible of all sizes to offer pre-employment training. This campaign is about the whole industry coming together – across the supply chain and in every corner of the UK.

"Even if you can just provide one session lasting a couple of hours and providing a few hints and tips on interviews, or a CV workshop – it all counts."

Rotherham MP, Sarah Champion added: "Rotherham has some fantastic food and grocery businesses and this campaign is an opportunity for them to offer important skills training to those who need it most. For the local young unemployed to get maximum value from this scheme we need as many food and grocery businesses in the area to sign up."

Feeding Britain's Future website

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News: Gala Tent helps young people in Rotherham get ready for work

Five young people from Rotherham have been given a unique insight into the world of work by Gala Tent, one of the UK’s leading designers and manufacturers of marquees and gazebos.

The Manvers company jumped at the chance to help unemployed people between the ages of 18 and 22 to prepare for the world of work, having been approached by Rotherham Youth Enterprise, who were delivering the Job Centre Plus initiative, for help with the "Get Ready" programme.

As part of the eight week long programme, Gala Tent's managing director Jason Mace ran a workshop at My Place in Rotherham, providing valuable advice on employment, interviews and enterprise. Jason Mace talked about his experiences of setting up Gala Tent, providing a valuable insight into the highs and lows of starting a business.

Jason also offered advice on preparing for interviews and employer's expectations of employees in the workplace, alongside graphic designer Kathrine Furniss from Gala Tent, who gave the group advice tips on producing a good CV which leaves a lasting impression on potential employers.

The young people were then set an enterprise challenge, with all profits raised going to local charity, Rotherham Cancer Care Centre. Rotherham Cancer Care Centre loaned £150 to the young people who set about organising two events held at Rotherham Street Market and Parkgate Shopping.

Gala Tent supported the Parkgate event by loaning the young people a marquee which would provide a professional shop front for their business.

Jason Mace, managing director of Gala Tent (pictured above, far let), said: "I was delighted to get involved with helping to inspire young people into being entrepreneurial and motivating them in their search for employment.

"I was really impressed with the hard work and enterprise of the young people involved in the programme. They took on board the advice and guidance we gave them in the workshop and made a real success of their two day business venture, raising over £500 for a good cause. I wish the group all the best in their search for a career and hope that a few of them may even be inspired to pursue their own business ventures."

Jackie Frost, enterprise projects manager at Rotherham Youth Enterprise (pictured above, far right), added: "Gala Tent's support of the "Get Ready" programme helped the young people involved to raise £568.14 for Rotherham Cancer Care Centre, on top of paying back the initial £150 loan.

"The event at Parkgate would not have been possible without the help of Gala Tent as their marquee provided protection from the bitterly cold weather. The marquee made an impressive pop up shop and, along with the workshop delivered by Jason Mace and Kathrine Furniss, it inspired real confidence in the young people we were working with."

Gala Tent will be previewing its extensive range of new designs for marquees, gazebos and accessories at its Spring Show on April 26 - 27.

Gala Tent website
Rotherham Ready website

Images: Gala Tent

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News: Youth Contract launches in South Yorkshire

The government is making £1 billion available to help businesses to get young people earning or learning.

Nearly half a million young people are set to benefit from new jobs or training under the Youth Contract which launched this month. Employers are being encouraged to help inspire young people and to offer more work, work experience and apprentice opportunities to 18-24 year old jobseekers.

Financial incentives include 160,000 wage incentives worth up to £2,275 to take on under 25's and at least 20,000 extra incentive payments worth £1,500 each for employers who take on young people as apprentices.

250,000 work experience places are to be created for young Jobseekers Allowance claimants who will also benefit from extra support through Jobcentre Plus, including more personalised support, skills assessments and jobsearch activity.

Chris Grayling, employment minister, said: "Youth unemployment is one of the biggest challenges this country faces and we're determined to make a difference to a problem that's been building up for much of the past decade.

"What we're offering through the Youth Contract is real practical support to both employers and job seekers which we hope will give young people a head start in the labour market."

Jobcentre Plus in South Yorkshire is hosting an employer breakfast event on the Youth Contract and how local firms can help prepare people for the workplace. For further details please contact Jobcentre Plus by email at rothrerham.lmra@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk or telephone 01709 343063.

Youth Contract website

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News: Rotherham employee wins national award

Gary Fuller, a care assistant at a Rotherham care home has won the individual award for outstanding achievement in learning and training at the first annual Local Employment Partnerships (LEP) Awards organised by the Department of Work and Pensions. Stephen Timms, Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform, said: “I would like to extend my congratulations to each of the winners. Each of the winning employers has gone that extra mile to help some of the most disadvantaged jobseekers back into work, and is an example to other employers of the way that local businesses and communities can benefit from Local Employment Partnerships. Particular congratulations go to Mark Farrell and Gary Fuller on the personal achievements they have made to win their awards, which are true inspiration to others.” As a single parent, Gary had been on benefits over eight years and Lonnen Grove's Keeley Rowley said: "As soon as Gary started at Lonnen Grove it was evident he was going to be a real asset to us. He’s a very calm and consistent person. And if we hadn’t got this Local Employment Partnership, maybe his potential would have been undiscovered."
LEP website

Sheffield Telegraph article

Rotherham

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News: Rotherham employee in running for national award

Gary Fuller, a care assistant at a Rotherham care home has made it onto the shortlist for the first annual Local Employment Partnerships (LEP) Awards organised by the Department of Work and Pensions. Gary has benefitted from Rotherham based Exemplar Healthcare's partnership with local Jobcentres to work together to help long term benefit claimants into work. As a single parent, Gary had been on benefits for about eight or nine years but through his employment has seen his confidence and self esteem grow and he is now nominated in the Individual award for outstanding achievement in learning and training catergory. Lonnen Grove's Keeley Rowley said: "As soon as Gary started at Lonnen Grove it was evident he was going to be a real asset to us. He’s a very calm and consistent person. And if we hadn’t got this Local Employment Partnership, maybe his potential would have been undiscovered." Exemplar has gained national recognition for the LEP in The Telegraph with co-founder Julie Quarrington discussing the positive impact on the business. Exemplar has employed over 40 care assistants, in catering and maintenance during the past year and has another 20 on training courses that started this month. The company has hired 80% of the individuals who have completed it. Julie told the paper "Anybody that needs to recruit staff should certainly look at it. The way that we have been helped and supported through the process, any employer that does not give it a chance needs to think again. It really is so helpful."
LEP website
The Telegraph article
Rotherham

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