Published on:
23
April 2010
More than half of the new posts being created with money from the Future Jobs Fund have now been filled.
A total of 35 new employees are now in work and being paid with funding from the UK Government. And a further 15 posts are currently being advertised. It is hoped that all 50 jobs will be filled by the end of May.
This follows a successful bid last year by the Clackmannanshire Alliance for money from the Future Jobs Fund.
This employment initiative aims to create 150,000 new jobs in the UK for 18-24 year olds who have been unemployed for over six months.
Clackmannanshire's Future Jobs Fund programme will see jobs being created across the voluntary, public and private sector and will include administration, construction, environmental, leisure, artistic and social types of work. Around 20 of the jobs will be within Clackmannanshire Council services while 11 local employers are part of the programme.
Potential candidates will be initially identified at the local Job Centre who will recommend the individual to Clackmannanshire Works, the Alliance's employment service. Clackmannanshire Works will manage the project on behalf of the Alliance and will aim to find and match candidates to positions. Candidates need to have been registered unemployed for at least six months to qualify.
Once matched to a suitable vacancy and in work, the candidates will be paid the minimum wage funded by the UK Government for six months. The jobs all have a community benefit, and the Alliance has also allocated additional funding for on-the-job training to increase the participants' likelihood of gaining employment.
David Haswell, chair of the Clackmannanshire Economic Development Partnership Team and General Manager of Thredgards Ltd, said: "We knew from the start the project was ambitious however with determination and hard work, it has proved to be a successful boost for the Clackmannanshire economy and the kick-start the local jobs market required."
Jobs created at Clackmannanshire Council include sports development assistant, waste & recycling operative, customer service assistant, admin assistant, grounds maintenance assistant and street cleaner. Examples of jobs created with local companies include two local men working as labourers with QTS on the Imagine Alloa project, four men being taken on as loaders with ACE and two men working as handypersons with C-MEE.
Rowan Paterson from Tullibody has been employed as a retail assistant with Retroglass in Alloa.
Rachel Collins, Managing Director, Retro Glass said: "For us, here at Retro Glass, The Future Jobs Fund has proved an enormous success. We have been really fortunate to find such a keen, conscientious and pleasant young lady, as Rowan has proved herself to be."
Rowan added: "I am really enjoying the experience of working at Retro Glass. It has given me the opportunity to learn lots of new skills."
For more information about the current Future Jobs Fund vacancies contact Jobcentre Plus on 294000.