Volunteers to co-ordinate Jobcentre Plus initiative in schools
Jess Brown
Thursday, December 3, 2015
A careers advice firm that recruits volunteers from the business community will co-ordinate efforts to establish Jobcentre Plus in English schools, it has been announced.
Speaking at an youth event in London, employment minister Priti Patel said the Careers and Enterprise Company, which was established last year by the Department for Education, will co-ordinate support provided by Jobcentre Plus work coaches in schools.
Patel said the government is taking action to prevent young people "drifting into worklessness and benefit dependency" by engaging with them before they leave school.
“Jobcentres are now helping young people at school get the support they need to progress into employment or training," she said.
“This will supplement existing schools careers advice and be targeted at those in danger of not being in employment, education or training.
"Jobcentres will co-ordinate this support with the new Careers and Enterprise Company.
“And for the first time in a long while we will bring together that all-important support and advice on work experience, apprenticeships and traineeships and the world of work closer to those that need it most.”
The Careers and Enterprise Company told CYP Now it will establish a network of volunteers to go into schools in order to co-ordinate Jobcentre support alongside all other existing careers advice on offer to pupils.
The government plans to introduce Jobcentre Plus to all schools by March 2017. A pilot scheme that offers employment and training support to pupils, is currently under way in Birmingham. The initiative is set to be extended to a further nine pathfinder areas before the end of the current academic year in July 2016.
