Government pulls plug on youth jobs scheme cash

Date published: 27 August 2014


OLDHAM council leaders have blasted the Government for withdrawing money to help young people find a job.

The decision to end a commitment to fund the Oldham Council Traineeship Programme Scheme this month - six months early - was a blow to the council’s “Get Oldham Working” campaign to create 2,015 employment opportunities by 2015.

Last night the council’s cabinet pledged to plug the shortfall by committing £182,000 into the work-placement initiative.

Councillor Shoab Akhtar, Oldham Council’s Cabinet member for employment and enterprise, said: “We have been let down by this coalition government. Once again we have been left to pick up the pieces.”

The new money will provide placements for up to 80 young people for six months and comes out of the dividend the council receives from its stake in Manchester Airport.

Councillor Akhtar added: “This extra funding will mean we can continue the paid-trainee programme and help more people to increase their skills. Using the airport payout shows that the council is investing its money wisely.”

The cabinet also pledged £50,000 of its airport dividend to a new scheme to help warehouse workers gain higher-paid employment as drivers, and £200,000 to repaint road markings across the borough.

The council received over £1,4 million from its airport stake this year