Future Jobs Fund
Bedford Borough's partnership employment support programme
In November 2009, Bedford Borough Council was
awarded a £1.1M programme grant under the Future Jobs Fund for
the creation of 198 job opportunities for long term unemployed
people. By the end of the project we had delivered an
additional 10 jobs by utilising programme underspend. The
project ran from November 2009 and all posts were filled by 30
July 2010 . The final cohort of FJF employees finished their
contracts in January 2011.
The aim of the scheme was to provide minimum
6-month employment opportunities for young people aged 18 to 24
years who have been out of work for over 10 months and long-term
unemployed who reside in areas of high unemployment.
The new roles provided jobs, training and valuable work experience
across a broad spectrum of sectors; all jobs have community benefit
and particularly focus on supporting:
- 'Green' and environmental based skills
- Social Enterprises and a thriving third
sector
- Sports development
- Cultural development
- Bedfordshire Police
- Bedford College
- Bedfordshire Pilgrims Housing Association and
Hanover Housing Association
- Community and Voluntary organisations
- Members of Social Enterprise East of
England
- NHS Bedfordshire
The scheme ran in close partnership with JobCentre Plus, in
addition to a number of other delivery partners who provided
skills, training, advice and welfare support services and provided
a springboard to success for many of our vulnerable long-term
unemployed residents.
For more information on how the
scheme worked contact Lindsay Mitton, Economic Development
Manager (Regeneration) on (01234) 276918, email: lindsay.mitton@bedford.gov.uk
Please visit the FJF News Stories page for further
information.