Originally written by Timothy Adler on Small Business
Rishi Sunak will give small businesses £1000 grants per trainee if they take on young people for training schemes.
The scheme, which will be announced this Wednesday as part of the chancellor’s economic statement, will tens of thousands of young people a lifebelt against the coming tsunami of post Covid-19 unemployment.
The Bank of England has predicted that unemployment will rise to 10 per cent this year, as employees are weaned off the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme from August.
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Small businesses that offer training for young people aged between 16 and 24 will be given cash “bonuses” of grants worth £1000 per youth up to a maximum of £10,000 per firm.
This unpaid on-the-job training is seen as a gateway to an apprenticeship and, ultimately, full-time work.
The £111m scheme is the first-time small businesses will receive direct government subsidies for taking on trainees.
A Treasury spokesman said businesses would get a £1,000 bonus payment “for every trainee they offer a work experience placement to”, and employers who were “new to providing trainees with work experience will also be eligible for the payment”.
The chancellor