In July 2022, it was finally possible to launch three new £750,000 employment support programs in Paisley. These actions will be an excellent start to removing barriers to employment and accelerate Renfrewshire’s post-pandemic recovery.
According to the website Statista, unemployment in the region has reached almost 5% due to covid, which was the highest rate in the last five years.
The new programs are funded by the Scottish Government’s fund, which was created to help economies recover from the pandemic. Thanks to this fund, local councils develop individual financing schemes for local businesses and thus stimulate economic activity.
Renfrewshire’s new programs will help people and businesses get back to work.
Which programs received funding?
Let’s see which programs received funding from the Foundation for Scotland:
Transition Fund for Parents is a program for parents who do not work and use universal credit. This means grants of up to £1,000 will be paid for the first three months of employment when they can expect their first paycheck and while benefits are changing to help with reasonable expenses such as travel, childcare, clothing, or tuition.
The Skills and Training Grant Program is a new fund designed to help people on Universal Credit who are unemployed or underpaid gain new skills and move into higher-paying jobs. It will provide support of up to £3,500 towards tuition costs to help them advance their careers.
The Parent Employment Employment Initiative is a pilot scheme that will pay wage subsidies to help businesses create new part-time jobs that start and end during school hours – for parents who want to return to work but for which work from 9 to 5 is impossible.
Andy Steele, Counsel at Johnstone South & Elderslie, notes that supporting low-income people and helping to rebuild the area after the pandemic are two of the council’s main goals, so it’s encouraging that the new three programs target those people.
The three funds are expected to help cover the costs people will incur when applying for a new job, support people to get the training they need to move into higher-paying positions, and help employers offer more flexible child care arrangements.
Economic Development Directorate
According to the Scottish Government’s website, the Region’s Economic Development Authority is helping build a more prosperous country by delivering sustainable and inclusive economic growth, providing opportunities for all Scotland to prosper. And apparently, it’s not just words. After all, the programs that have been launched are beginning to influence economic growth.
Conclusion
Of course, to correctly assess the situation with the region’s economy, it is crucial to launch a business analysis service and have accurate data on what is happening around. That’s why all three funds are open for applications, and more information on how to do so can be found by emailing invest@renfrewshire.gov.uk or calling 0300 300 1180.
It is essential to understand that it is quite possible to reach a pre-Covid level of unemployment. New financing programs for different groups of the population and businesses will also continue to emerge to improve the financial and economic situation in the region.
Author’s bio: Anastasiia Lastovetska is a technology writer at MLSDev, a software development company that builds web & mobile app solutions from scratch. She researches the area of technology to create great content about app development, UX/UI design, tech & business consulting.