Future Jobs Fund‏

The TUC has published a useful guide to the Government’s Future Jobs Fund (FJF): http://www.tuc.org.uk/welfare/tuc-17271-f0.cfm Britain currently has the highest rate of youth unemployment in Europe, and the FJF is part of the Government’s ‘Backing Young Britain’ package, providing £1bn for 18 - 24 year olds, as they come up to 12 months of unemployment.

It includes:

· 100,000 jobs in key employment sectors, using recruitment subsidies, or

· a training place for 6 months, or

· a place on the Community Task Force, undertaking work experience on projects valuable to the local community, or

· a job from the Future Jobs Fund.

These have the potential to be positive ways of introducing unemployed young people to the world of work, and if done properly can be supported. But left unchecked, they could also be used to erode real jobs, pay, terms and conditions, and our level of organisation.

Many UNISON branches have already been involved in the negotiation of apprenticeship schemes, and the approach here is very similar, with the need to ensure no substitution for real jobs; pay which reflects the content of the work being done; a proper training element; taking the opportunity to challenge job stereotyping; and recruiting and organising the young people on the schemes.

It is essential that branches get the subject onto the negotiating table soon – getting in early often means the chance for greater influence and to set the agenda.

FJF scheme workers can join UNISON for a flat-rate fee of £10 per year, and branches should ensure they are recruited and organised. They should be encouraged to participate in the union and branches should provide for appropriate representation in branch decision-making processes.

Our young people deserve to get the best they can out of the FJF, but we cannot afford to leave it to employers to make sure they do.