Written evidence submitted
by Catch 22
INTRODUCTION
Catch22 welcomes the opportunity to respond to this
inquiry into Youth Unemployment and the Future Jobs Fund. Catch22
has a significant amount of experience in both supporting young
people into employment and specifically the Future Jobs Fund (FJF)
as a provider of opportunities for young people.
Catch22 believes the FJF has provided significant
benefits for young people from which they have gained new skills
and experience to help them find long term sustainable, fulfilling,
and appropriate employment. As an employer of young people on
FJF placements, we have had extremely positive experiences. The
FJF has enabled us to employ young people that we would not have
otherwise been able to and we have been consistently impressed
with the young people that we have been able to employ.
The FJF provides a real lifeline for young people,
particularly given the current extremely high levels of unemployment
for young people. Catch22 is concerned that while the Government
has committed to continuing with funding already agreed, the withdrawal
of support for new bids to create jobs and bids already in the
pipeline will jeopardise the chances of many young people. It
is important that the Government recognises the benefits and opportunities
afforded to young people and employers through the FJF and ensures
that these are not lost as a result of cutting the programme.
THE EXTENT
TO WHICH
THE FJF HAS
SUCCEEDED IN
MATCHING NEW
WORK EXPERIENCE
OPPORTUNITIES TO
YOUNG UNEMPLOYED
PEOPLE
As well as supporting young people to find work and
training opportunities under the Future Jobs Fund, Catch22 has
been able to provide young people with FJF opportunities within
our services.
The following case studies showcase the success of
two such placements:
Boo joined a Catch22 Skills centre in order to learn
about mechanics and as a way of keeping out of trouble. He studied
NVQ Level One in Motor Mechanics and he was presented with his
qualification by Princess Anne. Whilst doing his NVQ, Boo learnt
numeracy and literacy skills, as well as practical skills such
as servicing and preparing cars for MOTs. Once he had finished
his NVQ, Boo continued to volunteer at the skills centre, helping
to teach other young people the same skills he had learnt.
In Spring 2010, Boo was offered a job under the Future
Jobs Fund as a Support Technician, working for Auto22, a new social
enterprise based in Kent which was set up by Catch22 and is a
car servicing and repair business. His main duties include supporting
the Technicians on a day-to-day basis, maintaining the workshop
tools, and preparing and valeting vehicles after they have been
repaired.
"There are loads of things I love about
the job. Working on cars brings a new challenge every day, and
gives me the opportunity to develop my technical and problem solving
skills. I also really enjoy working as part of the team - there's
always someone to help if there's something I don't understand,
and it's great to have a laugh while learning. The job also gives
me the opportunity to meet new people and develop my customer
service skills - something that I'm keen to continue learning
about in the future." - Boo, 20, Support Technician
at Auto22.
"Having graduated from university in 2008 I
have found it extremely difficult to find work because of the
current recession. After many applications I managed to find myself
a part time job at [a local retailer] which was offering a four
hour per week contract. I found it progressively difficult to
find a job which offered more hours. Thankfully the Future Jobs
Fund came about at the right time, I was put forward for a couple
of interviews and was successful gaining the role of admin assistant
at Catch22.
"I feel I have benefitted a lot from working
for such a rewarding organisation. I have learnt new skills including
how to use new software including database inputting, minute taking,
multitasking, and the day to day running of a busy reception.
I have gained confidence in all aspects of the job and I am learning
new skills daily. Through this job I have been able to attend
numerous courses to help develop my understanding of the role
which have been highly beneficial.
"I think the Future Jobs Fund is a brilliant
idea helping people get back into work, and offering work experience
and courses to help them within that specific job role. It has
been a great opportunity for me I've loved working for an organisation
that is helping out others. Not only has helped me get back into
work but I have met new friends, gained confidence and I now have
a better idea of what I would like to do for a long term career.
"I think it's great that I have a mentor who
comes to check how I am getting on and helps with further job
searches or any other problems that I have. I feel that I have
needed this support and guidance.
"I am very appreciative of this opportunity
and if it wasn't for the Future jobs fund I would never have found
a job as well suited as this. I feel that it is an excellent scheme
with good career opportunities." - Sally, 24, Administrative
Assistant at Catch22 Service.
STRENGTHS AND
WEAKNESSES OF
THE FJF PROGRAMME
FROM THE
PERSPECTIVE OF
PROVIDERS (INCLUDING
IN THE
THIRD SECTOR),
EMPLOYERS AND
YOUNG UNEMPLOYED
PEOPLE, AND
PARTICULARLY IN
RELATION TO
THE LONG-TERM
SUSTAINABILITY OF
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
The Future Jobs Fund is an extremely important way
of providing young people with the skills and opportunities that
they need to move into sustainable and appropriate employment
by broadening their experiences. The case studies above showcase
the value that it has contributed to the young people that Catch22
has worked with.
Catch22 has some concerns about the inflexibility
of the eligibility criteria. Due to the chaotic nature of some
of the young people's lives, the requirement to have been on jobseekers
allowance continuously for 26 weeks has prevented some young people
from being eligible. In one case, a young person had taken on
a short temporary contract of just a few days which had meant
that he wasn't able to take up a FJF position. He was extremely
disappointed as he was very excited about the position.
There have also been concerns raised about the salary
level for FJF employees. By only paying minimum wage, some young
people have been forced to take another job to supplement their
income. Furthermore, some young people have found themselves doing
similar jobs to other staff, but being paid considerably less.
Some young people have commented that they were disappointed
that the contract is only temporary for six months, feeling that
they would benefit from a longer period of employment:
"My main concern is that the contract is for
only six months, however I understand funding is difficult and
can't last forever….six months is not long enough to really
learn and develop the role. It takes a few months just to get
to grips with the job and fully understand what is needed."
- Sally, 24, Administrative Assistant at Catch22 Service.
In general, however, the experience of the Future
Jobs Fund from the perspective of young people and Catch22 has
been extremely positive and Catch22 believes that the FJF has
resulted in permanent employment for the young people involved.
"From my perspective I would recommend FJF.
It enables organisations to employ young people at practically
no cost for six months. In our case, the FJF fund covered the
cost of Boo's tools, some protective clothing and some training
as well as salary costs. I've found the people I deal with at
FJF to be extremely helpful, and the reporting requirements are
pretty straightforward and not too time consuming". - Auto22.
"This has been a gift for our service as we
really needed an extra admin person to cover reception, answer
phones, book clients in for classes etc but our budget does not
cover this…
"Due to our current funding situation, it is
unlikely that we will be able to offer Sally a job at the end
of the FJF period. However, I would be happy to do this should
the situation change. Having Sally here has demonstrated that
the post is needed. It has given us an opportunity to see how
Sally performs in the job, a little like an extended work trial
at no cost to us…I think this is a useful scheme as it provides
work experience, a reference, some income and a chance to try
out a particular role for the people involved. It also gives the
employer a chance to see if a job is needed/useful.
"From an employer perspective, this has been
an excellent opportunity. We have been fortunate with Sally as
she is a very capable and enthusiastic candidate" - Catch22
service employing Sally.
THE LIKELY
IMPACT OF
THE DECISION
TO END
THE FJF IN
MARCH 2011 RATHER
THAN MARCH
2012
Catch22 is concerned that the decision to end the
FJF earlier than expected, announced as part of the Cross-Government
Efficiency Savings, ignores the issues that created the initial
drive for the creation of the Future Jobs Fund. As illustrated
by the case studies above, the FJF provides a real lifeline for
young people, particularly given the current extremely high levels
of unemployment for young people, providing six months of training
and development.
Youth unemployment has a negative impact on young
people in terms of their self esteem and confidence, mental health,
and ability to reengage with the labour market by keeping their
skills fresh and up to date. But as well as short term impacts,
youth unemployment also leaves a lasting legacy. Research by Paul
Gregg has shown that being unemployed for more than 12 months
under the age of 23 has a hugely negative impact on a young person's
future, causing a permanent scar of disadvantage. Those who have
experienced long durations of unemployment in their youth still
suffer from sizeable wage penalties in their forties.
The FJF also has a role to play in breaking the intergenerational
cycle of unemployment by giving young people the opportunity to
gain new skills and experience, particularly in areas of high
unemployment. Recent research commissioned by the BBC illustrates
the impact that the recession and public spending cuts is likely
to have across England. It shows that there is a clear north-south
divide in the ability of local authorities to withstand changes
to the economy, with areas such as the north east faring particularly
badly as a result of their reliance on public sector employment[11].
The FJF will be a key factor is helping young people in these
areas to find work.
While the Government has committed to continuing
with funding already agreed, the withdrawal of support for new
bids to create jobs and bids already in the pipeline will jeopardise
the chances of many young people.
It is important that the Government recognises the
benefits and opportunities afforded to young people and employers
through the FJF and ensures that these are not lost as a result
of cutting the programme.
"Had the scheme continued, I was looking at
recruiting an additional person under this initiative to assist
with fundraising, identifying sources of funding and helping with
applications." - Catch22 service employing Sally.
HOW THE
TRANSITION FROM
FJF TO THE
WORK PROGRAMME
WILL BE
MANAGED, INCLUDING
THE PART
TO BE
PLAYED BY
THE GOVERNMENT'S
PROPOSAL TO
FUND NEW
APPRENTICESHIPS.
The new Work Programme is still lacking a lot of
the detail about how exactly it will work. Catch22 is concerned
that the young people that we work with are adequately and appropriately
supported by the organisations who are contracted to work with
them.
Catch22 has a wide range of expertise
in working with young people and supporting them into employment.
A key example of this is "From Care2Work",
a national employability initiative for care leavers which works
to find local solutions to narrow the gap between care leavers
and their peers by creating opportunities and raising aspirations.
Managed by the National Care Advisory Service (NCAS) based within
Catch22, "From Care2Work" works in partnership with
local authorities, private sector employers and third sector organisations
in England. Its aim is to identify and share good practice and
enable relationships between corporate parents and employers in
order to increase the breadth of opportunities available to young
people leaving care.
"From Care2Work" has established
the critical success factors in supporting young people into employment:
The From Care to Work journey, and within this there are a number
of key learning points for supporting young people into work which
Catch22 believes should be taken into account in the design of
the new work programme.
THE "FROM
CARE TO
WORK" JOURNEY
Every care leaver experiences a different path to
achieving sustainable and rewarding employment. For some, this
is a journey that starts in extreme chaos and risk taking, which
is the beginning of our continuum. This is when we must work with
young people on motivating change - encourage self belief
and work towards achieving stability. Only when a young person
can contemplate a learning pathway to securing employment can
we move on to the next phase of the journey.
Planning for action is the second phase of
our journey, which begins when we know a young person believes
they have the potential to continue in learning and secure future
employment. Participation in education, training and employment
encourages young people to acquire the skills and knowledge relating
to a job they have identified as their goal. Increasingly, this
includes opportunities to participate in work experience as part
of further education courses, diploma frameworks and apprenticeships.
Within the care and pathway planning process, we should continually
be asking how we can support this young person to build their
work profile.
In the third and final phase of our "From Care2Work"
Journey - achieving economic wellbeing - young people are
in a position to consider their pathway to sustainable and rewarding
employment and lifelong learning. We must be confident that increasing
numbers of young adults part company with our services: with a
clear job search strategy identifying suitable opportunities;
an awareness of the labour market and where future employment
lies; and able to produce effective written applications and performing
well in interviews.
9 September 2010
11 BBC, 9 September 2010, North East and Midlands "least
resilient" areas. Available online at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-11141264
Back
| 
