Employing Young Workers

Only 24% of employers have taken on a young person direct from education in last 2 to 3 years, but out of these, and contrary to popular belief, the majority find young people well prepared for work. Those who didn't cite a lack of experience as the key factor. This puts young people in a Catch 22 situation: no job, no experience; no experience, no job.

There are a number of benefits young people can bring to an organisation: they help businesses enter new markets, reduce staff costs, improve retention, provide tailored skills and a talent pipeline, and support business growth as they tend to be flexible, innovative and full of new ideas.

To read more about the benefits of recruiting young people (July 2012)

Young people can leave school/college on the last Friday in June of the school/college year in which they turn 16. Under the age of 18, they are referred to as young workers.

Click on the heading to be taken to the section:

• Employing an apprentice
• The Youth Contract April 2012
• The benefits of offering work experience placements
• WorldSkills UK competitions
• The Big Experience ...?
• Skills for Growth
• Employment from a young person's point of view
• Laws protecting the employment rights of young people
• How talentmap can help you
• Tips for successful recruitment including avoiding discrimination
• Changes to the National Minimum Wage - October 2010 and October 2011
• Qualifications explained
• The right to time off for training
• Equality and Diversity
• Employee engagement report
• Asylum and Immigration rules
• Rehabilitation of offenders
• The CBI Education and Skills Survey
• Advice in the economic downturn
• Work life balance

Back to top

Apprenticeship Grant for Employers of 16 to 24 year olds (AGE 16 to 24)

• The AGE 16 to 24 is aimed at helping eligible employers to offer young people employment through the Apprenticeship programme, by providing wage grants to assist them in recruiting their first apprentice.
• The National Apprenticeship Service will provide up to 40,000 Apprenticeship Grants to small medium size employers recruiting 16 to 24 year olds with a value of £1,500, to encourage new employers to take on new 16 to 24 year old apprentices.
• The AGE 16 to 24 is available now until March 2013 for employers who are able to offer a job opportunity to a young person they recruit. Fundingstarted on1 April 2012.
• For more information on eligibility visit AGE 16 to 24 - Apprenticeshipswhere you will find this fact sheet which answers many of the questions that you may have or look at this brochure.

Update 3 September 2012

AGE 16 to 24 criteria changes

From feedback received on AGE 16 to 24, NAS submitted a Ministerial Submission to revise a number of AGE employer criteria. Following on from last week's bulletin we are pleased to announce that the following criteria have been approved:

• Training providers will pay the employers the full amount of £1,500 at the 13 week stage after the apprentice starts
• The Grant is available to businesses with up to 1,000 employees
• The number of grants an employer can claim has increased from three to ten apprentices
• An employer will be eligible for AGE if they have not employed an apprentice in the last 12 months

Further information

...................................................

A NEW ERA FOR APPRENTICESHIPS

As thousands of school leavers up and down the country have received their exam results over the past two weeks, the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) explains why we have entered a new era for Apprenticeships and urges employers to choose from the huge pool of apprentice talent that is available.

More UK businesses than ever before are offering Apprenticeships because they are proven to offer a host of benefits ranging from improved productivity and competitiveness, to better staff retention and motivation. In 2010/11, nearly half a million people began an Apprenticeship, 63.5% more than the year before.

There were increases at all ages and all levels, including young people, who help employers grow their own talent for the future as well as help create a great place to work. Evidence shows that hiring eager-to-learn younger people also helps businesses improve cost effectiveness, provide a more flexible workforce, create a shared organisational culture, create insights into new markets and deliver innovation, energy and a competitive advantage for an employer.

As David Way, Chief Executive of the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS), explains: “For a strong and growing economy we must have a high level of skills to meet employer demand and Apprenticeships are vital way of achieving this. The National Apprenticeship Service is not only committed to increasing the number and range of Apprenticeships on offer, but also to ensuring the quality of Apprenticeships, which is so key to this growth.”

A range of initiatives have recently been announced by the government to define a new era for Apprenticeships that firmly places the programme as the country’s gold standard for vocational training. These include the introduction of more Higher Apprenticeships (up to degree level), plans to ensure every Apprenticeship meets rigorous new standards, the launch of a new financial incentive for small firms who hire apprentices and the introduction of a high profile national annual skills and careers event, The Skills Show.

With more than 250 types of Apprenticeships, offering over 1,400 job roles to choose from, Apprenticeships can help businesses across all sectors by offering a route to harness fresh new talent. And with new frameworks launching all the time including 14 in 2012 already, Apprenticeships range from traditional subjects such as Nursing, IT, Horticulture and Electric Vehicle Engineering through to new industries such as Life Science, Legal Services and Supply Chain Management.

...................................................

The National Apprenticeship Service have recently refreshed the policy pages on www.apprenticeships.gov.uk to include more information on apprentices who find themselves in redundancy situations and on the Apprenticeship Agreement that must exist between an apprentices and their employer.
- Apprenticeship Agreement - Apprenticeships
- Redundancy - Apprenticeships

...................................................

Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers

...................................................

 Apprenticeships that work: a guide for employers

This is an information sheet which gives you the key points about employing an apprentice and explains how you can find out more and get support.

Apprenticeships are a way of addressing skill gaps which can make your organisation more efficient and effective. They are designed to help young people to reach their full potential. If you think you want to employ an apprentice please go to the Apprenticeships website where it explains why having an apprentice could be right for you or ring the Apprenticeships Helpline 0800 0150 600.  

The Apprenticeships Vacancy Service allows you, as an employer, to advertise vacancies and it allows candidates to find suitable apprenticeships.

Key Points:

• Apprentices make a valuable contribution to businesses
• Apprenticeships can help you to solve business issues eg: recruitment difficulties; skills gaps; staff retention; staff morale; succession planning
• Apprenticeships are a means of accessing talent; they are high calibre individuals committed to their chosen career
• Developing an apprentice (or Apprenticeship programme) will provide you with a highly motivated workforce with qualifications that reflect the latest industry standards
• Apprenticeships enable young people to continue their learning in employment, and make a wider contribution to the economy and society - by 2020, one in five young people will undertake an Apprenticeship, recognising the excellent opportunities for career progression that this route offers them.

The Apprenticeship Ambassadors are a group of senior business leaders who believe in Apprenticeships because they have seen the benefits that they bring to their businesses, including increased productivity, greater staff retention, increased profitability and more highly motivated workforces. These are just a few of the benefits that make a compelling business case for Apprenticeships and there is more specific evidence available as well as answers to most of the questions that you may want to ask on the website.

Employers can only be recognised as a Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer by entering the Apprenticeship Awards. The four winning Apprenticeship Employers from the 12 local areas will automatically be selected as a Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer (that's the top 48). The scores from the local area judging panel will then be used to select the remaining 52 places.

Back to top

The Youth Contract can give you support to create new, sustainable jobs for young people and enable you to bring in fresh talent.

Here is a sheet of questions and answers which you could find helpful. It includes - What is the wage incentive element of the Youth Contract? From 2 April 2012 and over three years of the Youth Contract, employers are able to take advantage of 160,000 wage incentives. These are worth up to £2,275 each where they employ an 18 to 24 year old from the Work Programme for at least 26 weeks.

What is the Youth Contract?

In response to the challenge of youth unemployment the Government announced a £1billion Youth Contract to help young unemployed people get a job. The Youth Contract, which launched in April 2012, will provide nearly half-a-million new opportunities for 18-24 years olds, including apprenticeships and voluntary work experience placements.

Back to top

Employers and education working together can make a real difference to young people, and there are real benefits to employers from being involved. It's never been easier to get started.

The Employers' Guide has been designed to help you, what ever the size or type of your business, to work more closely with schools and colleges.

It is a one-stop shop that helps you to:

• Get started or deepen your existing relationships, with links to the key organisations that can help
• Understand the real benefits of partnership to your organisation, to schools and to young people
• Access comprehensive and definitive advice on the most effective ways that you can engage with schools and colleges.

Added 2 April 2012:

Work Experience Placements That Work - a guide for employers

WHY USE THIS GUIDE?

This guide is for you if you are thinking about offering work experience placements for young jobseekers or if you want to improve your current offer and better align it to your overall approach to investing in and developing young people. It provides you with:

• Information about the practical steps you need to take to set up high-quality work experience placements
• Background information on government initiatives to help young jobseekers, and your role within this
• Best practice case studies from employers who offer work experience
• Advice on how to support, supervise and mentor the young person in order to maximise the benefits of the placement.

Back to top

We're hoping to exceed previous entry numbers following the success of WorldSkills London 2011. Visit the WorldSkills UK website today and take a look at this year's competition offer and latest news.

Back to top

The National Skills Strategy sets out a pathway to achieving a bold new ambition for three quarters of the population to go to university or get an advanced technical qualification by the age of 30. The government is asking you to support young people through this difficult economic time.

Back to top

As an employer, or potential employer, of young people there are a number of areas that you should consider.

Some of these areas will be the same as those which would need to be considered for an employer of adults, other areas may be specific to the employment of young people.

If you go to Directgov you will find advice and information that supports young people, which is helpful to enable you to have an understanding of the issues that some young people might face.

Back to top

There are a number of laws protecting the employment rights of young people, including health and safety, what jobs can be undertaken, how many hours can be worked and time off for study and training.

Clear guidance and advice on employing young people which includes guidance on age discrimination can be found on the Business Link website.

For further information on the Health and Safety aspects relating to employing young workers please go to this site, and to this site for further general guidance.

If you are considering employing a child, you should be aware that if you break the law or regulation as laid down in the provision of the Byelaws or Laws governing child employment (Children and Young Persons Act 1933 Sections 18(2) and 20(2)), any incident would normally invalidate your insurance policy. Employers need to make sure that they have carried out all necessary obligations in law, and also are aware of any risks and other necessary safety procedures before they employ a child. For more information please visit the North Yorkshire County Council website.

Employer's charter Publication date: 15 Mar 2012

Acts to reassure employers about what they can already do to deal with staff issues in the workplace, and to change their perception about what they can and can't do.

Back to top

Employers are calling for a view of the employment, skills and education systems which can help them to: 

• Ensure that the investment they make in their people impacts directly on the success of their business
• Improve the cost effectiveness of their business
• Do more now, in preparation for the upturn.

That’s where talentmap comes in… the downloadable booklet and the website.

Back to top

Several areas to take into consideration when employing a young person:

The successful recruitment process is made more meaningful by:

• Having a clear job description, person specification and clear terms and conditions of service and contract which are jargon free. If you visit the Business Link website you will find information on a written statement of employment particulars and this section of the website, guidance on writing a person specification and a job description. This website gives you some more ideas
• Avoiding discrimination during recruitment - It is important to avoid discrimination during the recruitment process. This not only is a legal requirement, but also gives you the best chance of getting the right person for the job. For information on how to prevent discrimination and value diversity visit the Business Link website
• Ensuring young people understand the roles they are applying for at the interview
• Having a rigorous interview process which enables young people to demonstrate the full range of skills they might need. Setting a salary level which is appropriate to the role, not the age of the young person is good practice. For information on pay rates across sectors click here.

It is helpful if the induction period includes:

• An initial basic assessment of the young person's capabilities including Basic Skills: this is particularly important for a first job
• A clear understanding by Managers about what they expect from young people, making sure that the young person knows what those expectations are
• A comprehensive induction package which is given to the young person
• An assessment of the emotional and personal development of a young person to ensure that they are not put into inappropriate roles
• An acknowledgement by you and your staff of a young person's changed role where the young person was previously a volunteer within your organisation

It is helpful if support structures for young people are identified and understood, this could include mentoring, line management, supervision, peer group support.

It is helpful if the planning of a clear progression route, (what do you need to be able to do, to move on) includes accredited training if possible in order to up skill your workforce.  If you visit Train to Gain you will be able to find out about this Government service which offers independent advice on improving the skills of your employees. The service helps employers - of all sizes and in all sectors - to boost their business by training their staff. Skills brokers help you to find the right training and the right providers, and construct a training package tailored to each business.Please referyoung people employed on time limited contracts to Connexions for additional support for their exit strategy .

Young people will flourish in a positive and supportive environment and your skilled managers will be the key to achieving this.

Back to top

National Minimum Wage Rate changes
The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills has announced the national minimum wage rates from 1 October 2012:

• the main adult rate (for workers 21 and over) will increase by 11p to £6.19 an hour
• the rate for 18-20 year olds will remain at £4.98 an hour
• the rate for 16-17 year olds will remain at £3.68 an hour
• the rate for apprentices will increase by 5p to £2.65 an hour

Back to top

The Qualifications and Credit Framework: an introduction for employers.

Do you:

• Struggle to understand how the qualifications system works?
• Want to be actively involved in deciding what training and education is needed for your industry’s future?
• Want to get your in-house training recognised as a qualification in a national framework?
• Want to tailor-make qualifications to suit your business needs?
• Want to be able to quickly measure prospective employees’ achievements?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, please read on. This leaflet tells you about the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) and gives you the information you need to understand how it works, and how it can benefit your company, your employees and your industry as a whole.

To help you to understand the full range of qualifications that young people can take and all the different routes available for young people to follow as their careers progress click here and scroll down the page.

To find out more about diplomas which combine theoretical study with practical experience and develop skills highly valued by employers and universities click here.  The Diploma is part of a national programme to provide young people with more options, to encourage them to continue learning for longer.

The publication Support Schools, Colleges, Children and Families Building Stronger Partnerships will give some general information for you as an employer.

You could look at the Qualifications and Pathways section in this website.

Back to top

From 6 April 2010, approximately 11 million employees, in Great Britain, employed by oganisations who employ 250 or more employees, have had the right to request 'time to train'. This will NOT be extended to cover employees in all businesses from 6 April 2011.

Employees' requests can be:

• To undertake accredited programmes leading to a qualification
• For unaccredited training to help them develop specific skills relevant to their job, workplace or business.

While employee requests may involve agreeing time away from their duties, the primary focus of the new right is about agreeing relevant training with your staff. 

To find out more visit the Business Link website.

Time to train: example scenarios of handling requests Publication date: *16 Feb 2011 - Hypothetical scenarios to demonstrate how the right to request time to train might work in actual employment situations. Covers a range of different industries and job types, and include different types of training requests and outcomes.

Back to top

You will find information on equality and diversity and ensuring all your employees feel valued which is so vital in the modern workplace on the acas website.

Back to top

Engaging for Success: enhancing performance through employee engagement - David MacLeod and Nita Clarke were commissioned by the Department for Business (BIS) to take an in-depth look at employee engagement and to report on its potential benefits for organisations and employees. They argue that if employee engagement and the principles that lie behind it were more widely understood, if good practice was more widely shared, if the potential that resides in the country’s workforce was more fully unleashed, we could see a step change in workplace performance and in employee well-being, for the considerable benefit of the UK.

Back to top

If you are in a situation where you need to know about employers liabilities under section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 go to this website.

Back to top

If, as part of your support for the community, you wish to consider employing a young person who has offended you may find it useful to visit the NACRO website where you will find the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 explained.

Back to top

Here you will find advice and guidance for residents and businesses in North Yorkshire to help you get through the recession

Back to top

At 4Children, their track record in working with employers means they can offer specialist advice and devise real solutions for all your employees' childcare needs

Back to top

This innovative programme aims to offer a four week placement for candidates to gain work place experience in a community setting. The placement provider will be paid £200 for a completed placement.

Any community focused project, enterprise or charity can be a placement provider. The scheme has a particular community focus and we know from previous experience that the community sector has a particular skill in offering quality and diverse placements. You might run a local charity shop, run a community gardening project, operate a social action programme.

Back to top