Written Statement - Jobs Growth Wales

I wish to provide Members with an update on Jobs Growth Wales and provide information on how the programme’s statistical report is presented.

Today, the Jobs Growth Wales statistics for 10th June were published and show that the programme’s destination data remains at a record high - 82% of young people in the private sector have progressed into sustained employment or further learning upon completing their six month job opportunity.  We’ve also seen an incredible 93% of graduates at the end of their 6 month job opportunity progressing into employment or further learning.  

As at the 10th June 2014, 13,889 job opportunities have been created with 10,583 young people filling these jobs. The remainder of the job opportunities are currently going through the recruitment process.  

These are outstanding figures. I’m extremely proud of what Jobs Growth Wales has achieved and make no mistake, it is young people and employers who have benefitted from this programme.

I’m also delighted that Jobs Growth Wales has helped our young entrepreneurs create 276 new businesses – great news for our young people and our economy.

This programme is making a significant difference to young people’s lives, giving them the relevant skills and experience they need to move into sustained employment. Jobs Growth Wales is offering young people a way out of unemployment helping them avoid the damaging social and personal costs of prolonged periods spent out of work in their early adult life.

Employers of all sizes have told me how well Jobs Growth Wales participants have progressed since taking up their six month opportunity and the difference that young people have made in helping them to expand their business. For many employers, Jobs Growth Wales was the catalyst to accelerated growth.

Jobs Growth Wales statistics are published on a monthly basis and can be found online.

These monthly statistics present information on the number of job opportunities created and filled, plus other management information about the Jobs Growth Wales Programme:

• Table 1 shows a breakdown of the number of job opportunities created and filled by each strand, including the number of applications received.  The number of jobs created relates to job opportunities that have been quality assured and approved and are currently going through the recruitment process. They may be at sifting or interviewing stage, or currently live on the Careers Wales system awaiting applications.  
• Table 2 shows detailed destinations for those who have completed the programme in the Private Sector strand.  
• Table 3 shows destinations data for participants who have left the programme early in the private sector strand.  It is important to note that the early leavers figures include all those who have left since the programme started, however the completed figures will only include those who have completed a 6 month opportunity (i.e. exclude those who are currently taking part in a 6 month opportunity). Therefore comparisons should not be made between these two figures. 
• Detailed destinations data for the third sector and graduate strands are shown in Tables 4 to 7
• Table 8 shows the number of jobs created and filled Local Authority.

Positive destinations include further learning, employed same employer (full and part time), employed different employer (full and part time) an apprenticeship with the same or different employer.  The destination data for all participants is published separately to show how all participants have progressed at the end of the opportunity. This is to ensure that the programme’s destination data is completely transparent. Apprentices have to be employed to meet apprenticeship eligibility criteria and are therefore classed as in employment.  

Over 10,000 job opportunities have now been filled through the programme. I’m pleased to announce we’ll be inviting young people, their employers and training providers, to celebrate this fantastic milestone with us in July.