Young jobless London told: ‘Work for nothing to get benefits’

Dominic Gover, Senior reporter
Friday, August 31, 2012
12:54 PM

Jobless young people in London face working for free under plans unveiled to make everyone contribute to society.

18 and 24 years-olds out of work for six months or more will be enrolled onto the scheme when they sign on for Job Seekers Allowance.

Then they shall work 30 hours a week for an initial period of 13 weeks.

There will 6,000 places for Londoners who claim with little or no work history.

Whitehall hopes the scheme will help the charity sector, social enterprises and voluntary groups.

Conservative Mayor of London Boris Johnson is also involved. During his election campaign, he pledged to create 200,000 new jobs by 2016.

Back to work help will be included in the scheme like CV writing and interview skills.

The scheme is set to be contracted to the private sector and has the potential to be problematic for the government.

A series of embarrassing outcries from claimants accusing contractors of insensitivity have hit the headlines this year.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “It’s no secret that work experience can be the key that opens the door to a successful career and more young Londoners need to be given the opportunity to do it. Right now it’s a tough labour market out there and we have to ensure that all young people get the skills they need to succeed and for which employers are crying out.

“Early intervention will reduce the risks of benefit dependency and increase the chances of long-term employment that is good for young people and good for the economic growth of this great city. As we continue to grapple with tough economic times there has never been a more pressing need to help young Londoners into work, which is exactly what this project is designed to achieve.”