Give employers tax breaks to cut youth unemployment, says CBI

The Confederation of British Industry has called for tax breaks for those businesses hiring jobless young people in an attempt to fight rising youth unemployment figures.  The employers lobby group attested that organisations hiring out-of-work 16-24 year olds should benefit from a new ‘Young Britain Credit’, which would cover £1,500-worth of National Insurance contributions during their first […]

Official apprenticeship figures exaggerated, leaked document reveals

A leaked document from Vince Cable’s department has revealed that official apprenticeship figures have been exaggerated. Data released yesterday by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills appeared to indicate that 442,700 people started apprenticeships in the academic year 2010/11 compared with 279,700 the previous year. But an internal BIS document leaked to The Guardian admitted that […]

News Analysis: Jobs market shows mixed picture

The state of the labour market appeared mixed this week, with the number of City and retail jobs plummeting amid predictions of increasing numbers of opportunities elsewhere. According to the Centre for Economics and Business Research, a huge 30,000 jobs will have been lost in London’s Square Mile by the end of the year – […]

Blog: How to take the pay issue off the table

Recognise This! – Recognition and rewards cannot replace compensation – it’s an entirely different “currency.” Fellow blogger and Compensation Café founder Ann Bares recently ran a survey looking into what level of pay (or pay increase) would be needed to “take the issue of pay off the table.”   This is a highly complex but […]

Only 20% of employers hire apprentices – and falling

A mere one in five employers has taken on an apprentice over the last year, with the majority harbouring negative perceptions of the current workplace training system, including its relevancy to them. To make matters worse – and despite the personal urging of Prime Minister for businesses to take on more such trainees– even fewer […]

Unemployment “truly horrific” – and unlikely to improve any time soon

UK unemployment levels have hit a “truly horrific” 17-year high, confirming that the private sector has failed to create enough jobs to offset swingeing public sector cuts. The International Labour Organization-defined rate of worklessness in the country now stands at 8.1% for the three months to August, up 0.4% on the quarter. The 114,000 increase […]

The retiring of the retirement laws – a talent management challenge?

Employers can no longer force staff to retire at 65 after the Default Retirement Age met its end on 1 October – but has UK Plc really woken up the HR challenge ahead? The Default Retirement Age (DRA) was introduced in 2006 at  the same time as regulations (Employment Equality (Age) Regulations)  intended to stop […]

Compulsory apprentices for companies under Labour?

Companies that bid for government contracts would be obliged to hire young people as apprentices under a future Labour government.   That was the commitment from Labour leader Ed Milliband in his keynote address to the party’s conference in Liverpool this week during which he pledged to take  “action to put our young people back to […]

Update: Intern name-and-shame campaign avoids media companies

A campaign to name and shame large companies that fail to pay interns a proper wage is steering clear of media companies – which are among the worst offenders – due to fears over lack of publicity. The news came to light as the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills published guidance for employers that […]

Law firms collaborate to boost disadvantaged access to legal profession

More than 20 UK law firms have got together in a bid to provide young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with fair access to work experience opportunities across all facets of the legal profession. The initiative dubbed ‘Prime’ has been backed by the Law Societies of England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland as well as […]

Almost half of student internships are still unpaid

Almost half of student internships are unpaid, a survey by Graduate Prospects has revealed. A survey published in the organisation’s annual report entitled ‘Real Prospects: Higher Education’ explored whether 22,000 graduates had gained work experience while studying for their undergraduate degree. More than 70% said they had done so, often by taking on casual paid […]

Sponsoring A level leavers – finders, keepers?

The latest round of A-level results last week highlighted a growing trend. Employers are progressively not only ‘acquiring’ talent among A-level students, but also influencing the content of some degree courses. So what can they do to ensure that they are in the best position to attract – and retain – this talent that has […]

School leavers lack necessary workplace skills

Whether school leavers obtain the A-Level results they hope for today or not, almost half of employers do not believe that they have the necessary skills to work in a business environment. A survey of 2,000 micro-companies undertaken by the British Chambers of Commerce revealed that 47% would be ‘fairly’ or ‘very nervous’ of hiring […]

Interns: opportunity or exploitation?

As a trainee solicitor I have done my fair share of unpaid internships and work experience. In fact, many of my friends have had to work for months, one for even a year, for little or no remuneration. This is particularly the case in the media, fashion and TV industries. In many instances interns work […]

Cancer-suffering apprentice sacked

A teenage cancer sufferer was sacked from his apprenticeship because his employers did not want to have to deal with a disabled staff member, an employment tribunal has heard.  Michael Ready is claiming unfair dismissal, discrimination under the Disability Act and breach of contract, although William and Tracey McManus, the husband and wife team who […]

Low Pay Commission to review intern and apprentice pay

The Low Pay Commission has been tasked with evaluating whether young people taking up internships should be paid and to review whether apprentices currently receive a fair wage.  The coalition government has also asked the Commission to examine how current National Minimum Wage regulations could be simplified and made easier to administer as well as […]

Publishing company forced to pay uncontracted intern

In a groundbreaking case, a publishing company has been ordered to pay an intern £1,000 in damages after an employment tribunal ruled that she was classed as a worker under the law, despite having no written contract.  Former intern Keri Hudson, 21, who had worked for two months at the My Village web site last […]

Coalition to spend £60 million on private sector apprenticeships

In a bid to deflect criticism over scrapping a £1 billion fund aimed at tackling youth unemployment, the coalition government has pledged to spend £60 million on creating apprenticeships and work placements in private companies.  The ‘Supporting Youth Employment’ scheme is intended to fund 250,000 apprenticeship places for 16- to 24-year olds over the next […]

Employers not buying into value of apprenticeships

Although the coalition government claims that apprenticeships generate a £40 return for the economy for each £1 of investment, two thirds of employers do not believe on-the-job training is appropriate for their organisation.  According to a study commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to explore the economic value offered by government-funded post-19 […]

Work placements should be more accessible, says Clegg

Nick Clegg will urge employers to sign up to a “business compact” today in order to open up work placements beyond those young people who are “sharp-elbowed and well connected”.  The Deputy Prime Minister will make the call as part of his social mobility strategy, which is due to be published this morning. The national […]