Government scraps part of work experience scheme

The Government of Jersey has confirmed it will stop running a scheme which provides paid work experience for people needing employment.

The Foundations Programme, part of the Back to Work scheme, began in 2014 to support islanders who had been on income support for more than six months.

But officials said fewer people had taken advantage of the programme in recent years and that it would be discontinued from 16 March.

Helena Mangan, head of work and family at the Employment and Social Security and Housing Department, said that it had been a "time-limited work programme with no guarantee of a job at the end of it".

She added: "We're continually evaluating what we have and we've moved the funding across into our financial incentives for employers so that we can help more people and move into permanent employment at the end of it."

The government said five people found jobs through the programme last year, compared with 16 in 2022.

Employment, Social Security and Housing said the Back to Work team "continued to play a key role in supporting islanders, helping more than 450 people last year into jobs."

Some of the people it supported, referred by the Jersey Employment Trust, had more complex needs, it added.

Over the years, local charities have benefited from the Foundations Programme.

Workers decorated homes for Silkworth, which supports islanders with alcohol and drug addictions, and the JSPCA animals' shelter got its cattery decorated for free.

Islanders who accessed the scheme were also able to work with Jersey's National Trust.

The chief executive Officer of the Jersey National Park, Greg Morel, said that he was disappointed the programme was coming to an end as he understood workers had "very much enjoyed the work they done out in the park and in the countryside".

But he said the charity would be working with other environmental organisations to find a way of filling the gap left when the government scheme ended.

Jason Wyse, Silkworth's CEO, said the charity had saved tens of thousands of pounds as a consequence of the programme throughout the 12 years it had been running.

He said: "It's tough out there for any business right now… so it's going to be tough for charities as well, if not more so.

"We rely on the generosity of the public... so schemes like this, where government or corporate organisations are supporting charities, are absolutely crucial at this time."

Wyse said he was talking with the Back to Work team to try and find an alternative way of providing resources once the programme ended.

The government said the team would continue to provide support through paid job training and its employment incentive scheme.

It said employers who gave permanent, full-time work to job-seekers could claim minimum wage, as well as 6.5% social security contributions for the first six months of employment.

It added that the budget for the Foundations Programme had been reallocated to "support these more desired areas".

"This ensures more job-seekers are supported in ways that best reflect their interests and employment goals by maximising opportunities for real experience and sustainable progression into work," it said.

In January, the government told the Jersey Employment Trust, which helps people with disabilities and long-term health conditions learn new skills and find and keep jobs, that it would not this year be receiving additional grants above its agreed budget.

Ministers later reversed the decision, following criticism and pressure from the public and politicians.

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