Long term unemployed back to work through government scheme (From York Press)

Long term unemployed back to work through government scheme

8:07am Wednesday 28th November 2012 in Jobs News By Megi Rychlikova, megi.rychlikova@thepress.co.uk

NEARLY 400 long-term unemployed residents in York have got back to work through the Government’s flagship scheme for cutting the jobless figures.

G4S revealed that it has placed 3,200 people in jobs in North and East Yorkshire and Humberside since the Work Programme began in June 2011.

Of them, 298 were from York, more than 1,300 were aged between 18 and 24 and 78 per cent of them have stayed in the jobs where they were placed.

In the same period, from June 2011 to July 2012, the Government sent G4S 13,200 people to help to them find jobs.

Gary Kernaghan, area contract director for G4S, said: “Although the Work Programme has only been running for just over a year, it is already transforming the lives of thousands of disadvantaged people living in North and East Yorkshire and the Humber.

‘‘It is also supporting long-term unemployed people into employment more cost effectively than previous comparable programme.

“Our performance so far in helping jobseekers into work is encouraging but there is still a lot more work to be done.

‘‘The economic conditions remain challenging and it has taken some time to set up and start delivering the Work Programme.

‘‘Even so, our performance is improving all the time and we remain fully committed to delivering the best possible services to all the disadvantaged people that we support through the Work Programme across North and East Yorkshire and the Humber.”

G4S is one of several companies and organisers working on the scheme nationally.

Once enrolled on the scheme, people remain on it for two years, regardless of whether they get permanent employment, but do not receive benefits once they are earning.