Social care employers subsidised to recruit young unemployed

Social care employers are to be offered £1,000 subsidies when recruiting unemployed 18-to 24-year-olds.

Care First Careers, first announced by Chancellor Alistair Darling in last year’s Budget, is a joint initiative by the Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions, and will provide 50,000 apprenticeships for young people who have spent six months or more on job-seekers allowance.

The scheme, backed by £75m government money, has already been piloted in South Tyne and Wear Valley, Cheshire, Halton and Warrington, Coventry and Warwickshire and South West Wales.

As well as the money, free employment training will be given to the young trainees.

Care services minister Phil Hope said: “Care services offer challenging and rewarding careers, from managing care homes to supporting older and disabled people to live independently in their own homes. I hope Care First Careers will encourage more young people to consider a future in care and help give them the leg-up they need to get started.”