Renfrewshire Council Leader unveils promise of wage subsidy for every firm
Every small-to-medium-sized Renfrewshire firm will be able to access council financial support to create a job for an unemployed young person.
Councillor Mark Macmillan made the promise as part of the second anniversary celebrations of Invest in Renfrewshire – the council’s programme to boost business and tackle unemployment.
Under the Renfrewshire Employer Offer, any small-to-medium-sized firm hiring an unemployed young person will be eligible for financial support to help pay that person’s wages.
A firm taking on a young person for more than 25 hours per week will get 50 per cent of national minimum wage for up to 40 hours a week, for up to 12 months.
Invest in Renfrewshire already runs an employer recruitment incentive programme, while Jobcentre Plus have a similar scheme called the Youth Contract – but the conditions and size of grant depend on who you go to, and who you appoint.
Under the Renfrewshire Employer Offer, the council will top up any gaps in the Jobcentre scheme, meaning the same conditions are on offer across the board.
Invest in Renfrewshire and Jobcentre Plus staff will advise any business on which support best suits them, meaning the vacancy-filling process is simplified for all.
Councillor Macmillan said: “The council is determined to ensure local companies can get the help they need to grow their business and their workforce.
“That’s why we have made such a significant financial contribution to boosting local firms and tackling unemployment through the Invest in Renfrewshire programme.
“Over the two years of Invest in Renfrewshire we have made great strides in tackling unemployment – the rate of local 18-24 year-olds claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance is now just over six per cent, having been above 11 per cent when Invest started.
“In that time more than 650 companies have signed up to benefit from our packages of financial support – but we are always looking for new ways to make things easier.
“With that in mind, the Renfrewshire Employer Offer neatly ties together some schemes that are already there – our own wage subsidy programme, and the Jobcentre Plus equivalent.
“This way, any business knows they can get the same level of support, with the same terms and conditions – no matter which organisation they approach first.”
Cllr Macmillan’s announcement was made as part of a two-day celebration of Invest in Renfrewshire’s second birthday, featuring a showcase and awards ceremony for local businesses, and a conference for employability professionals.
The conference saw around 200 delegates from organisations and training providers from across the area gather to hear updates on latest news and to share ideas on how inequality can be tackled in the job market.
For more information on Invest in Renfrewshire, call 0300 300 1180, email invest@renfrewshire.gov.uk, or visit www.investinrenfrewshire.com