Friday 29th June 2012

Contracts for Young Workers Need to be Simplified

Contracts for Young Workers Need to be Simplified

High youth unemployment has been at the forefront of the Government’s employment agenda for quite a while now. Reported in the media almost daily, the number of young people out of work is increasing all the time following the removal of the default retirement age and a shrinking labour market. There are other reasons for this too; employers are looking for the right combination of experience and qualifications but the young workers are finding it difficult to get a foot on the ladder to gain this experience as well as employers finding the process of taking on a young worker too difficult to navigate.

Is there a Solution?

One solution touted by the CBI is the simplification of contracts for young workers which it is hoped will bring about an increase in the recruitment of young people. An article in People Management Magazine online show the CBI suggests, “Firms can’t see the woods for the trees” which is affecting the number of young workers being taken on. It is thought that by simplifying the steps which employers must take before they can hire a young worker, more employers will look down this route of recruitment, alleviating slightly the issue which is now believed to be affecting more than 1 million young people.

Edinburgh Initiatives

There are many local schemes which aim at helping young workers into stable permanent employment through initial placements and initiatives within these such as wage subsidies or help towards the costs of training/apprenticeships for the young workers. If you are thinking of hiring a young worker you can check out schemes such as Barnardo's Works , The Edinburgh Guarantee Scheme or Recruitment & Training Edinburgh Ltd .

Considerations when Hiring

It is important to note if hiring a young worker that there are some considerations which you must make. The minimum wage might be lower and the number of hours they can work can also be influenced depending on age and whether they have left school. The Direct Gov website is extremely useful for information relating to this.

If you require any further information or assistance with recruitment or if you would like to know who to contact at the above Schemes please do not hesitate to get in touch with Neil Ferguson of Gravitate HR on 01312257458.