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£6,500 per job. Participant had to be claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) one week
before starting their FJF job and be aged between 20 and 24.
An independent evaluation (Centre for Economic Inclusion, 2011) found that the FJF, that
made effective use of dynamic sub-regional partnerships, provided real jobs with a real
wage, engaged employers, moved people off long-term benefits, improved people's health
and reduced criminal behaviour and benefited community cohesion. The evaluation
reported that:
'Of the 105,220 participants who started FJF jobs between 2009 and 2011, an estimated 15
per cent of them left their job before six months - more often than not to move immediately
into another job. Overall, an estimated 43 per cent of participants obtained a job outcome
after FJF - in the majority of cases with the same employer as their FJF job. Participants
with job outcomes are experiencing impressive levels of job sustainment - modelling
suggests over half will still be in that same job one year after starting' (2011: 5).
An official DWP evaluation (2012) reviewed by NIESR found that according to base-line
assumptions, the FJF is estimated to have resulted in a net:
• benefit to participants of approximately £4,000 per participant
• benefit to employers of approximately £6,850 per participant
• a net benefit to society of approximately £7,750 per participant
• cost to the Exchequer of approximately £3,100 per participant.
Even though the FJW was axed by the Coalition Government in 2011 on cost grounds, both
the DWP evaluation and an independent evaluation confirmed that for the period of the
programme, it had significant impact on working lives of young people.
There appear to be at least two lessons to be learned from the FJF. First, that high initial
costs in terms of employer subsidy become partially offset by the economic benefits of a
young person being in work. There are also wider benefits to society that could be cost
saving in the longer term. Second, that the delivery of more than 100,000 placements not
only depended on real incentives to employers, but also local partnership delivery at the
local level.
Mitigation responses from the FE Sector and its wider partners
The unique nature of the pandemic together with changes in UK society mean that there
are limits to what can be learned historically or comparatively. A number of initiatives
have been suggested in response to the pandemic which, if implemented, will need to be
evaluated with regard to effectiveness
• Expanding the use range of the apprenticeship levy improved rates of pay for
apprentices and making careers advice digital when an increasing amount of young
peoples' time is spent online (Redrow, 2021).
• Improving co-ordination of government funding streams and integration at the local
level with a focus on developing the green economy with young people at the centre
(Quilter-Pinner et al., 2020; LGA, 2020a; LGA 2020b; LGA, 2020c; The City and Guilds
Group, 2020).
• The introduction of a Youth Guarantee or Opportunity Guarantee of a job,
apprenticeship or training offer for all young people (Learning and Work Institute,