Community Jobs Scotland has received funding for another year, allowing a further 1,000 young people to be employed within the Scottish voluntary sector.

Announcing the £6.3m of funding for 2013/14 yesterday at the Gathering, the largest charity sector conference in Scotland, Scottish minister for youth unemployment Angela Constance revealed that for the first time a proportion of the funding would be ringfenced for young people with a disability or long-term illness:

“Community Jobs Scotland has played a pivotal role in delivering Opportunities for All, our unique guarantee of an offer of a place in training or education for 16 to 19-year-olds. Extending the programme for another year will help hundreds more imporve their life chances through finding jobs.

"The time is right for those involved with Community Jobs Scotland to ensure our most vulnerable young people aged up to 24 can benefit from their expertise. Furthermore, a ringfenced budget for those with disabilities and long-term illness will help address the particular barriers they have accessing the labour market," said Constance.

£550,000 is to be ringfenced, providing 100 jobs for young people with a disability or long-term illness. 

Run by the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations and funded by the Scottish government, Community Jobs Scotland has filled 2,803 placements within the voluntary sector since its launch in August 2011. The majority have gone to those aged 16 to 19 years old struggling to gain employment, but consideration is given to those under 24. 

Under the scheme young people are given paid placements within the voluntary sector for a minimum of 26 weeks. Some 40 per cent of those placed have retained permanent employment within the sector, a rate 12 times higher than the Work Programme SCVO chief executive Martin Sime says.

"Community Jobs Scotland proves that investing in young unemployed people through the third sector generates good results for everyone. With the right investment this model could be replicated across Scotland. Funding for the extra 1,000 jobs announced today is a good start but with thousands of young people facing long-term unemployment in Scotland there’s a lot more work to do," he adds.

The Scottish government invested £8.5m in the scheme for 2012/13.

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