Jobs and Careers with James Caan 2012 - (Page 15)

NEWS2012 The latest job- and career-related news, views and reports Nick Clegg during a visit to a CR Smith showroom to highlight the UK government's £1 billion Youth Contract careerbites SMEs James Caan boosts With UK unemployment rates at their highest since 1994, the government and the business world alike have turned to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to help remedy the dismal state of the UK economy. There are currently around 4.5 million SMEs in the UK, which employ more than 13 million people, and although small businesses generate a significant proportion of new jobs in the UK, 75% of SMEs remain single-man projects. In a quest to boost the number of SMEs that employ multiple employees, James Caan, one of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs (who has made his fortune through recruitment) has joined forces with The Evening Standard, to produce a weekly column sharing his business insight. The column, ‘Ask James’, which will be printed every Monday in the paper as well as being made available online, will see James use his 30 years of entrepreneurial experience to offer guidance to small businesses. SME owners are invited to email in to askjames@standard.co.uk with questions they have for the business tycoon, from anything about raising finance to hiring staff. James Caan hopes that ‘Ask James’ will go some way to helping SMEs expand, and encourage the growth of employment in the UK. 410,000 new work placements In November 2011, Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, announced a £1 billion Youth Contract to help 18 to 24 year-old NEETs back into employment. The term NEETs is defined as individuals that are not in employment, education or training. This announcement followed the release of unemployment figures from The Office for National Statistics (ONS) in December, which stated that in the three months to October, the total number of unemployed 16 to 24 year olds reached 1.027 million. The programme is expected to provide at least 410,000 new work placements for 18 to 24 year olds in the three years following its launch, including 250,000 work experience placements. As part of this, there will be 160,000 wage subsidies (up to the value of £2,275 each) made available to employers willing to recruit a young NEET through the Work Programme. Additionally, there will be at least 20,000 incentive payments made available to encourage businesses to take on young apprentices as part of the scheme. The Youth Contract is due to commence from April 2012, in the same month the government-funded National Careers Service is due to start. The national initiative, funded by the Department for Business and Innovation Skills (BIS) is expected to cost £84.4 million, and will make online and helpline services available to jobseekers of all ages in England and Wales. These two initiatives, both government-backed, aim to help decrease current levels of unemployment in the UK - particularly in the 16 to 24 year-old age bracket - and encourage employers to take on more NEETs through placements and apprenticeships. www.jobsandcareersmag.com 015 http://www.jobsandcareersmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Jobs and Careers with James Caan 2012

Career bites
What really counts
Weighing it all up
Around the world
Ask the experts
Growth sectors
Train your brain
Homework
Carve a career in care
Here come the girls
Mum’s the word
An apple a day
It’s for you-hoo!
A step forward
His & hers
Bank on it
Risky Business
In the money
3 Specialist medical jobs
The stuff of life
Power on
Engineering heroes
Outside the box
Keeping it clean
Your Business with James Caan
Go Go GadGets
On trend office
Take my advice
Getting Going
The bank job
Make the most of your assets
Back to business
The law and you
HR Matters
Make it work
Into the cloud
Design & shine
Reach out
Gorkana and Gurkhas
Protect and prosper
Making it count
Your business or your life?
Nice supplies
Beginning business
Ship it
Ethical business
Backing business
Standing together
Top 10 hiring tips

Jobs and Careers with James Caan 2012