New work placements aim to combat youth unemployment as Norfolk small businesses struggle

Norfolk’s young job seekers could be benefitting from the Governments plan to roll out a £2.5 billion initiative to provide 300,000 new work experience and training placements. This comes as concerns are raised by local small businesses about diminishing job prospects for young people. The new placements, part of the Youth Guarantee, aim to reverse rising numbers of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET). Currently nearly one million mark young people arent in education or employemt , prompting urgent action to offer every young person the chance to earn or learn. However, Candy Richards from East Anglia's Federation of Small Businesses believes the Government needs to give businesses in Norfolk more funding, in order to tackle unemployment: " Giving small businesses the cash and the confidence to invest and create new jobs is absolutely imperative if we are going to turn a corner on this crisis in youth unemployment" she said. Candy said that rising costs for businesses are leading to fewer positions being created, particularly affecting young people looking for part-time and entry-level roles. She said: "Small businesses are making tough decisions due to high employment costs, often opting for experienced workers over young, inexperienced ones, "I speak to so many small business owners across Norfolk, who say with their heart, they really want to give a young person a chance, but with a head, they're looking at their figures and financially they cannot make it work, "And the reason is the cost of employing someone young and inexperienced is so high now." On top of the Governments new proposal, she's calling for more targeted incentives to support small businesses in hiring young people. The Government's programme aims to offer hands-on experience in industries like construction, health and social care, and hospitality. These opportunities include Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), which provide training, workplace experience, and a guaranteed job interview for jobseekers on benefits. SWAPs have proven successful, with four in ten participants moving into sustained work within six months. Pat McFadden, Work and Pensions Secretary, said "The evidence shows that real work experience increases young people's chances of building lasting careers."