July 22, 2024 - 1281 views
Better job prospects, more life satisfaction and help to access mental health support are just some of the benefits young learners have experienced since joining Jobs Growth Wales+ (JGW+).
Part of the Welsh Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee, the JGW+ programme delivers individualised training and development and employability support to 16 to 19-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).
It focuses on:
- Supporting young people who are NEET to gain skills, qualifications and experience to enable them to progress to employment, including apprenticeships or towards learning at a higher level
- Supporting employers who take on a young person by providing a wage subsidy of up to 50 percent of the young person’s employment costs at the National Minimum Wage for the first six-months.
An independent evaluation, published last week, shows there is much to celebrate. 95% of surveyed participants who had completed the programme said their chances of finding work had increased, with 82% of the active participants surveyed agreeing their training allowance helped ease financial pressures.
What is also hugely encouraging is that in addition to this work-based support, 82% felt more satisfied with their life and 81% felt happier.
Overall, the latest data suggests 68% of those that take part achieve a positive outcome within four weeks of leaving the programme, either progressing into higher level learning, employment or into an apprenticeship.
For some, JGW+ supported them with more than a job. One respondent said: "They’ve gotten me in with CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) and help to find social skills, gave me lots of confidence and I left with a voice."
Dom Jones, 18, from Buckley says he would encourage more young people to enter the world of work through the Jobs Growth Wales+ programme after it gave him the confidence and guidance to land a full-time job.
Speaking about his journey from education into work, Dom said: "They encouraged me to retake my English and Maths GCSE qualifications where I was able to raise my grades, which helped boost the skills on my CV when applying for jobs."
Now a waste operative with Deeside-based builders' merchant, Thorncliffe Building Supplies, Dom praised JGW+ for getting him to where he is now.
"Joining the Jobs Growth Wales+ programme had an instant positive impact on my approach to work and my career.
"If you are struggling to know what to do next, don’t give up too fast. You don’t know what future you might have ahead of you, just put the work into your passion, keep your head down, and amazing things can happen to you.
A final evaluation is underway and will be published early in 2025."
For more information on JGW+ including how young people can access the programme, search online for Jobs Growth Wales Plus.
