Creating opportunity for the people of Perth & Kinross

The Skills and Employment Initiatives Team offers an ‘all purpose’ employability service throughout Perth & Kinross to support business growth, people progressing and a wider skills agenda.

The team focus support in 2 specific fields:

• Supporting and advising job seeking clients with all aspects of employability and skills development
• Engaging with and supporting local businesses in recruiting and retaining staff to aid business growth

Assisting an individual on their journey towards meaningful and sustainable employment cannot be underestimated. Benefits include better health and wellbeing, improved economic activity, community inclusion and more. Please watch our video below for illustration of our teams’ impact locally.

Current Service Offers

Young Person’s Guarantee – Employer Recruitment Incentive

Through the Young Person's Guarantee - Employer Recruitment Incentive, we can offer employers in Perth & Kinross a financial contribution towards the additional costs of recruiting and sustaining an unemployed young person aged 16-24.

The key aim is to encourage employers to provide young people with meaningful and sustainable job opportunities (including Modern Apprenticeships), with the hope that they will be kept on long term and progress within their employment.

Where an employer can offer a young person at least 30 hours of work per week for the duration of the incentive period (26 weeks), a payment of up to £6,500 is available (subject to employee earnings).

Timeline for release of funding to employers is as follows:

• at 4 weeks (up to £1,000) - no payment for less than 4 weeks
• at 13 weeks (up to £2,000) - no pro rata payment between 4-13 weeks
• at 26 weeks (up to £3,500) - no pro rata payment between 13-26 weeks

As well as the above funding, up to £1,500 can also be accessed by means of a Training Grant to fund additional costs such as training and employability support, IT equipment/software or uniform/personal protective equipment (PPE).

If you are interested in being a part of the Young Person's Guarantee in Perth & Kinross and would like to register your interest, please contact Sarah Webster/Nicola Traill at YPG@pkc.gov.uk

No One Left Behind

Key work support to individuals to assist in their journey to finding employment as well as funding available for businesses to create new jobs for these clients. See link on the right for more info. Website - No One Left Behind

European Social Fund Employability Outreach Service

A holistic approach to helping clients with extensive barriers in support of them realising their potential and progression. See link on the right for more info. This Outreach project is part of a wider ESF programme locally with various offerings. See the website for full details - Employability Outreach Service

Rural Employment Incentive

Working in partnership with rural people and businesses in creating good quality, sustainable jobs to aid rural economic growth. See link on the right for more info. Website - Rural Employment Incentive

Employment Connections Hub

Frontline employability service to all residents requiring support in CV building, interview skills/techniques training, assisted job search and more. See video below.

Vacancy Management Service

Supporting businesses in finding suitable candidates, advertising and marketing their roles.

Futures For Families

Assisting parents with dependent children to advance within the job market, whether that be securing & sustaining employment or advancing within current role or organisation.

Futures for Families is a new initiative, part funded by the Scottish Government under the Parental Employment Support Fund. Futures for Families aims to support parents to access or progress in work. This is delivered locally by the Skills & Employment Initiatives Team.

The programme offers a tailored package of support to eligible parents. Whether a client is in or out of work they will receive relevant assistance to progress, with the ultimate aim of securing well paid, highly skilled employment.

Programme offerings include:

• Support in searching, securing and sustaining employment from a designated Key Worker
• Training and skills action planning
• In-work support to progress, in the form of a Skills and Training Grant - Elev8 Employment and Training Grant

* An opportunity may arise for incentivised employment subject to available funding.

Eligibility for Participants

Futures for Families will focus on supporting eligible parents in a number of ways in order to assist them in progressing with their employment goals.

Support will be available for parents who fall into any one or more of the following categories:

• Lone Parents
• Parent or child with a disability
• 3+ Children
• Minority Ethnic
• Youngest Child < 1
• Parents aged < 25

See link on the right for more info. Website - Futures for Families

Projects part funded by European Social Fund.