REBECCA EVANS AM, Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales, has welcomed newly published figures which show the Welsh Labour Government’s flagship youth employment programme, Jobs Growth Wales achieving record results, with 96% of graduates securing work after leaving the programme.
The figures show that Jobs Growth Wales, which is part funded by the European Social Fund, has so far created 9,345 job opportunities, with 7,748 young people filling these jobs. The figures also show high levels of sustained employment amongst young people who complete their 6 month opportunities. The figures, which for the first time have been broken down into the programme’s different strands, show that 96 per cent of young people who have taken part in the graduate strand progressed immediately into sustained employment.
Mrs Evans said: “These new figures show that Jobs Growth Wales continues to go from strength to strength.
“As well as creating much needed job opportunities for unemployed young graduates during tough economic times, Jobs Growth Wales is also helping Welsh businesses to grow because every job created is a new post which allows the business to expand.”
It is not just graduates who have benefited from the scheme. Young people taking part in the Third (voluntary) sector strand also experienced high levels of sustained employment upon completing a six month opportunity.
Sixty eight per cent remained in work, or went into an apprenticeship or further learning when they left the programme.
Mrs Evans said: “From the outset of the scheme I was clear that disabled young people and young people who may need more intensive support in work should be able to reap the rewards of Jobs Growth Wales. I am glad that the new figures show that this is happening.”
The self-employment strand of Jobs Growth Wales also remains well ahead of target, with 173 young people who have taken part.
Mrs Evans said: “I am glad that Jobs Growth Wales is also supporting young entrepreneurs to turn their business dreams a reality.”
In the programme’s largest strand, the private sector strand, 78 per cent of young people progressed into sustained employment, an apprenticeship or further learning upon completing a six month opportunity, maintaining the record high recorded in the previous month.
The latest figures come as work accelerates on a new Work Programme specifically for care leavers, young people still in care and young people who have offended. The Moving Forward scheme will use £3.4 million from dormant bank accounts to create 440 job opportunities for vulnerable young people.
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