Further development of partnership work will lead to more employment opportunities for 18 to 24-year-olds in County Durham.
Research into the current support available to increase young people’s employment opportunities in the County has been carried out, at the request of elected councillors, to gain a better understanding of the type and level of support currently provided by the Council and partners for those aged between 18 and 24.
Councillors are concerned at the rise in the number of young people in the county claiming Jobseekers Allowance last summer (4,360 in June rising to 5,280 in September).
A committee looked at employment trends within County Durham and the range of support currently provided and discussed with employers potential barriers to employing young people. Committee members also visited providers to see what they are doing to reach out to young people.
Aycliffe Councillor John Moran, chair of the scrutiny task group, said: “We found that a wide range of support is currently available in the county for young people in the 18 to 24-year-old age group.  Schemes such as Future Business Magnates and various programmes delivered by Job Centre Plus aim to get people back into work and this is coupled with the work being done by the council’s Area Action Partnerships to improve the employment chances of young people within the county. Members were impressed with the range of initiatives to support young people but acknowledge there is more to be done.”
Just some of the schemes on offer in County Durham include: Learning the Business, a concept developed to promote employability skills in young people, gained particular recognition for its work in bringing businesses and schools together so that teachers can expand on their knowledge of the world of work, to enable them to pass this on to pupils.
The County Apprenticeship Programme, which launched last year and encourages smaller businesses to take on young people for at least two years, is gaining momentum.
Work is also ongoing with opportunities to develop the apprenticeship offer in departments of the council. Job Centre Plus has worked closely with the County Council to host a series of open days focussing on young people. One held in Bishop Auckland, was attended by more than 500 young people with around 70%  directed to various employers, the apprenticeship service and providers.
The Youth Contract is another recently announced scheme which increases the number of work experience and apprenticeship places available to young people. It was set up by the County Durham Economic Partnership and continues to go from strength to strength.
Cabinet heard how improving this partnership working will lead to more opportunities for the young people of the county when they met on Wednesday, 20th June at The Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle