Future Jobs Fund
PANDA is the North West partner in the national bid by New Deal of the Mind to deliver the Future Jobs Fund.
Over the past 12 months PANDA has brokered 100 new jobs for unemployed young people within our members' organisations, and provide support to ensure both the employee and employer gets the maximum benefit out of the opportunity.
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria for employees:
- Aged 18-24 years and registered unemployed for at least 6 months.
- The employee will need to have their eligibility checked through their Job Centre.
- Employers can employ someone they know but they must meet the criteria above and still have to go through their Job Centre adviser to ensure eligibility.
Criteria for employers:
- PANDA member (if not yet a member, join up online now… it’s only £20 pa!)
- Able to offer 25 hours of work per week and have commitment to mentor/supervise the employee, particularly in first 2 months. (If you cannot offer 25 hours, there are possibilities for PANDA to match you with another organisation to complete the hours. PANDA also offer a mentoring/coaching training day for employers to assist you).
- Pay employee through PAYE. (PANDA can assist with setting up and running a PAYE system for you at minimal cost if you don’t already have one).
- Pay employee before reclaiming wages each month – so you will have to pay out approximately one week BEFORE you get the money back – around £630 each month.
- Ensure you have Employer's Liability Insurance and a Health & Safety Policy in place (again, PANDA can help with this).
- Allow your employee time out of their paid hours to undergo training, coaching and peer learning.
- Offer one training workshop per employee you take on, which you will open out to a small group of other Future Jobs Fund employees free of charge.
- OR if a venue: offer your space for the scheme free of charge for a workshop or event to take place.
- Allow your employee as much opportunities as possible to experience live performances, events and workshops as part of your company/organisation.
The Offer
What employees will get:
- Paid employment in the creative sector for a minimum of 25 hours a week for 6 months.
- Mentoring, coaching and training to support their skills, confidence and experience.
- Personal development plan to assist them get the most out of the opportunity and plan for future employment/self-employment at the end of the 6 months.
- Peer learning support groups and free attendance at networking events.
- Employment and a reference to add to their CV.
- Opportunities to experience performing arts events both as an audience member, organiser and backstage where possible.
- Potentially a job if they have added enough value for their employer to be able to continue to employ them at the end of the 6 months.
What employers will get:
- An extremely low cost extra pair of hands to enable you to develop your company/practice/organisation for 6 months.
- An employee who others will be investing in, in order to ensure they grow the skills and confidence to really benefit your company.
- Access to coaching and mentoring training to build your own skills.
- Networks of other employers within your area with whom further collaborations can happen & knowledge can be shared.
- Support for first time employers.
Added Value from PANDA
Support for employees:
- Free 2-week training course within first 6 weeks of commencing job in life/work skills using drama.
- Individual coach/mentor who will assist with personal development plan and be in contact throughout the 6 months.
- Peer learning group and network events throughout the 6 months to support post retention.
- Industry-led and relevant training workshops optional attendance - negotiable with employer and in line with personal development plan.
- Basic minimum wage for 25 hours a week for 6 months with guarantee that this will mean they are not worse off financially.
- Assistance with identifying transferrable skills, writing a CV and preparing for self employment.
Full support for employers:
- PAYE set up workshop at a cost of no more than £5 per employer to attend.
- Payroll for Future Jobs Fund employee, including monthly wage slips, calculation of tax/NI, P60 etc. at a cost of £10 per month per employee.
- One-day coaching/mentoring training for employers/line managers at discounted rate of £30 per participant.
- Assistance and information on additional requirements such as Employer's Liability Insurance, Health & Safety Policy, annual leave, discipline procedures etc.
- Contact at PANDA to offer help and assistance on a part time basis.
- Access to peer learning groups and networking events.
Find out how one of our FJF partnerships went when Poet Dominic Berry employed Christopher Jones to be his Event manager.