HELP AT HAND FOR UNEMPLOYED YOUNG PEOPLE IN BRIGG AREA

FROM KIRSTY WESTFIELD, NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE COUNCIL

The council’s Springboard Programme that supports unemployed young people back into employment and training has been extended thanks to £218,800 funding.
The current Springboard Programme started in June 2014 with the aim of supporting unemployed young people aged 18 to 24 across the Humber region to get back into employment and training. This was due to finish in May 2016 but will now run until March 2017 continuing to work with unemployed young people.
In addition to the current programme, Humber Learning Consortium (HLC) in partnership with the council has secured £218,800 of funding to extend the programme and widen the eligibility criteria. This will allow more people from a diverse range of backgrounds to be supported. It will be known as Springboard Programme B and will run until July 2018.
The majority of the funding will fund the creation of four new posts for Springboard Programme B and will allow us to provide support for young people the age of 15 and increase the support we are able to offer those furthest away from employment, particularly those who are long-term unemployed and those on Employment Support Allowance.
To provide the Springboard programmes we are looking to create new posts, they include Springboard Progression Advisors and Springboard Support Officers.
It is proposed that one Springboard team will be created to provide the Springboard A and B programmes and will act as a single point of contact for young people.
The Springboard Programme has helped lower the unemployment figure for North Lincolnshire. The latest figure for May 2016 shows it has dropped by 3.8 per cent to 2,530 people compared to 2,630 in April 2016. This is lower than the Yorkshire and Humber.
Coun Rob Waltham, from Brigg, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Business, Innovation, Enterprise and Skills said: “The Springboard programme in North Lincolnshire has helped many unemployed young people get back into work or find suitable training. This has been achieved through tailored ongoing support from the existing team. Due to this success we have received additional funding to extend the programme further and create Springboard Programme B. This means we can open up the support to more young people over the next couple of years.
“By combining the two programmes, the teams can work closely together and provide collective and more effective support for young people.
“We are fully committed to providing job and training opportunities for people in North Lincolnshire. We have a range of schemes on offer in addition to the Springboard Programme to support people to access employment or training opportunities. This includes our apprenticeship programme, graduate work placements, Wage Incentive Scheme, Wheels 2 Work and the Action Station.”

About the Springboard Programme
Springboard Programme A is is a Humber wide programme coordinated by the Humber LEP which aims to reduce the NEET (not in education or employment) population for 18 to 24 year-olds by supporting them into training or employment. The programme in North Lincolnshire currently employs two Progression Advisors and a Youth Ambassador.
To date, the programme has supported 167 young people with the creation of a personal action plan to remove barriers to work. As a result of this, 113 of these people have moved into employment, training or another positive activity such as a traineeship. Others have been supported to remove significant barriers to employment such as housing, debt and mental health related issues.
Humberside Learning Consortium is the lead partner for the Springboard B (Hull and Humber Partnership) project. This is supported by the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) to extend employment opportunities and develop a skilled workforce.