CYP Now - Local authorities to pay employers for taking on young apprentices

Councils are providing a boost to the government's apprenticeships drive by launching local incentive schemes for businesses, in a bid to reduce numbers of young people not in employment, education or training (Neet).

As part of the £1bn Youth Contract, the government is investing £60m to create 40,000 apprenticeships across England, by offering small and medium-sized firms £1,500 payments to take on 16-to 24-year-olds.

Two local authorities are now launching their own similar schemes for up to 200 young people in each area.

Surrey County Council has pledged £300,000 to pay firms £1,500 to provide apprenticeships for young people up to the age of 19, while St. Helens Council has committed £500,000 to offer employer subsidies of £2,500.

Chris Bussicott, commissioning officer for apprenticeships at Surrey County Council, said that although take-up of the apprenticeship element of the Youth Contract in the South East has been “slow”, it provided the inspiration for Surrey's local scheme.

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