New Deal for 18 to 24 Year Olds
What is the New Deal for 18 to 24 Year Olds?The New Deal for 18 to 24 Year Olds is a programme which aims to help you, if you have been unemployed and claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for six months or more, to find employment and increase your chances of gaining employment through the provision of high quality work experience, education and training. You will get the skills, training and experience needed to get into work and build your long-term employment prospects.
You will enter Gateway where you will get your own New Deal Personal Adviser to help and guide you while you are on New Deal. Normally you will have the same Personal Adviser throughout your time on New Deal. There is early entry for certain groups who are considered to be disadvantaged in getting a job.
During Gateway you will get:
- an initial phase of help to find unsubsidised jobs.
- a placement on a 2 week Core Gateway course designed to provide you with job-seeking and job-keeping skills.
- advice and guidance to help you find work.
- access to independent careers advice and guidance.
- access to measures to improve your immediate job prospects e.g. to improve Jobsearch techniques, confidence building.
- access to short essential skills courses, discussion with option providers or "tasters" of options.
- help from specialist agencies if needed.
- preparation of a New Deal Action Plan.
- referral to New Deal options.
New Deal offers four options, which last for between 13 and 52 weeks.
- A job with an employer. Employers will be offered £60.00 subsidy per week for up to 26 weeks. As part of the employment option you can choose to enter self-employment "Test Trading". During Test Trading you can try out your business idea and experience the realities of self-employment while still receiving support and guidance from an organisation experienced in helping people start their own business. You will be paid an allowance for up to 26 weeks while test trading.
- Full time education and training which lasts for up to 52 weeks. While on this option you will receive an allowance equal to your Jobseeker's Allowance + £15.38 weekly top-up. If you need help with essential skills (reading, writing, working with numbers) you will be able to avail of Essential Skills Training (EST) in this option. Its primary aim is to address essential skills needs through the achievement of a nationally recognised essential skills qualification. You will be paid an extra £10 per week while on EST. If you achieve an EST qualification you will be paid a bonus of £100.
- A job or placement with a voluntary/community sector organisation for up to 6 months. While on this option you will receive either wages from the provider or an allowance equal to your Jobseeker's Allowance + £15.38 "top-up".
- A job or placement, on the Environmental Task Force option. This involves working for up to six months on a project which aims to improve your chances of getting a job whilst at the same time improving their local environment. While on this option you will receive an allowance equal to your Jobseeker's Allowance + £15.38 per week "top-up".
The New Deal will operate in such a way that if you refuse to participate you will be repeatedly offered places on New Deal options and your benefit will be sanctioned if you refuse to take up the place.
Access to Jobseeker's Allowance hardship payments during the penalty period will only be available to those who are in a vulnerable group.
From September 2008 Steps to Work, the new flexible approach to helping people to find work, subsumed the main New Deal programmes in Northern Ireland.
Freephone 0800 353 530
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