Government asks voluntary organisations to provide work experience placements

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Chris Grayling , has called on the voluntary sector to provide work experience placements for young people as part of the government’s Budget pledge to fund 80,000 placements over the next two years.

The government announced in last week’s Budget that it would provide 100,000 work experience places, 80,000 more than at present, to help combat the youth unemployment crisis. Yesterday in Parliament, Grayling called on private, public and voluntary sector organisations to be open to providing these placements.

“We already have apprentices working in the Department (for Work and Pensions), but we as a department will take a lead in providing work experience places - including something like 4,000 throughout the Department per year,” said Grayling.

“We will also actively go out and encourage organisations to come forward and take part in the work experience programme. I hope every company in the country - private, public and voluntary sector organisations - will give young people the chance to take those first steps in the workplace.”

The Department is to spend £20m in the first year and £20m in the second year on funding the placements.

The training of 50,000 apprentices will also be funded by the government in its Budget reforms, and a spokesperson at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills advised that civil society organisations were encouraged to participate.

“It’s not for voluntary roles, they have to be paid, but absolutely, we want apprenticeships to become popular in all disciplines,” he said when asked if the sector was welcome in the new apprenticeship scheme.