YOUNGSTERS across the region will have more work opportunities as Severn Trent becomes the latest company to back a government drive to tackle youth unemployment.
It has pledged 400 roles for 16 to 24-year-olds over the next three years as part of a new programme.
They will include six-month paid work placements across a wide range of roles within the company, including a variety of operational roles and customer support agents.
The water company said 25 of the opportunities each year will be ring-fenced for young people who have experience being in care.
Severn Trent is the latest employer to back the Government’s Youth Guarantee, which aims to give every young person the chance to earn or learn.
Other supporters include the Premier League, Channel 4, Royal Shakespeare Company and Pinewood Studios.
The Youth Guarantee and Growth and Skills Levy reforms are backed by £2.5billion investment, providing employment support for almost a million young people and unlocking up to 200,000 jobs and apprenticeship opportunities.
This comes in response to the rise in recent years of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET), which is close to one million.
To mark the new partnership, the Minister for Skills Jacqui Smith visited Severn Trent’s training academy in Coventry, which opened in 2021, to meet young apprentices developing skills in operations, engineering and other specialist roles.
At the site, learners train by practicing real repairs using indoor and outdoor rigs that simulate live water networks.
Baroness Jaqui Smith, Minister for Skills said: “Every young person deserves the opportunity to build a career they’re proud of and that is exactly what we are making happen through the Youth Guarantee.
“It is great to see Severn Trent joining a growing number of household businesses backing our mission to open doors and deliver real opportunity across the country.
“Their commitment shows how working hand in hand with businesses provides young people with the skills, the confidence and the chances they need to succeed.”
The Government is working with sector leaders to open up early career routes for young people, through both the Youth Guarantee and the Energy and Utility Skills Sector Entry Pilot.
The package of measures under the Youth Guarantee include a Youth Jobs Grant worth £3,000 for employers for every young person they hire aged 18 to 24 who has been on Universal Credit for six months, an expanded Jobs Guarantee offering subsidised work for eligible 18-to-24-year-olds, and new foundation apprenticeships in key sectors, including hospitality.
