Essex Youth Employment Accelerator
Get in touch
Get in touch to find out more about our business support offering.
Who’s it for?
- Businesses in Essex (excluding Southend and Thurrock)
- Employers who want to support young people into employment
- Businesses able to provide a meaningful work placement and workplace support
What is it?
The Youth Employment Accelerator Programme provides fully funded work placements for young people aged 16 to 19 who are currently not in education, employment or training (NEET).
The programme helps young people take their first steps into the workplace. Employers benefit from dedicated support, access to motivated young people and the opportunity to nurture future talent, with funding available to reimburse agreed wage costs.
What’s required?
Employers will need to:
- Provide meaningful work and opportunities for skills development
- Offer a safe, supportive and inclusive working environment
- Provide day-to-day supervision and guidance
- Have a PAYE payroll system in place to employ and pay the young person
- Provide a suitable workplace where the placement can be undertaken in person
How does it work?
The programme will:
- Match employers with suitable young people
- Provide recruitment and matching support
- Support onboarding and placement set-up
- Offer ongoing support throughout the placement
- Reimburse agreed wage costs
Placements are available for 16 to 25 hours per week over a 12-week period, giving young people the opportunity to gain workplace experience while helping employers support the next generation of local talent.
Next steps...
Sound like the right programme for your business to get involved with? Complete the expression of interest form below, or get in touch with us if you have any questions!
Stories of progress
Don't just take our word for it, hear from the local individuals who are scaling faster and thinking bigger.
“The Innovation Grant Mentoring Programme didn’t just help us write a stronger grant application, it changed how we tell KIGO’s story. That is the kind of support every early-stage founder needs and almost none can find.”
Innovation Grant Mentoring
“The support was incredibly helpful. I was able to step back, really look at where the business was going, and understand the financial side more clearly. It also made me realise the true value of what I was delivering - something I hadn’t fully recognised before.”
Ambitious Essex
“The Essex Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Service has been invaluable in helping us enable apprenticeship employers to secure funding quickly and easily, ensuring smaller employers and apprentices have the same opportunities as other learners.”
Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Service
“The team have been very supportive throughout the process and guided us through each step. Every question was answered in detail, and we would highly recommend the service to other businesses.”
Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Service
“It’s a valuable way to invest in our team and support business growth. The process was straightforward, and the support helped us up skill our team without the usual financial pressures. We’d highly recommend it to others looking to develop their workforce.”
Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Service
“Pitching to companies was the best, from a commercial and learning perspective. Secondly the other cohort members, I feel I've met like minded people going through or have been through similar challenges.”
Grow Essex Global
“My experience with the Essex Growth Agency through Ambitious Women in Essex has been transformational for my business. May it continue as an incubator of talent, driving growth and prosperity across the county.”
Ambitious Women in Essex
"From start to finish, the process was seamless. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, guiding me through every step. I felt valued as a customer, and the results were fantastic. Thank you for a wonderful experience!"
Ambitious Women in Essex