news

New staff initiative offers £2000

13 Jan 2012

There’s great news for Scottish businesses – and people looking for work – as the Government announces an extension to its Employer Recruitment Incentive (ERI). The ERI has been broadened to give more businesses and individuals the opportunity to benefit from funding.

The ERI is aimed at encouraging businesses to recruit eligible individuals by offering a cash incentive of up to £2,000 to help off-set wages in the early stages.

As of December 2011, employers can take advantage of the ERI funding if they are recruiting a Modern Apprentice.

The new member of staff has to meet one of these criteria:

* Any 16 to 19-year-old who is recruited as a Modern Apprentice or has  progressed to a Modern Apprenticeship. 

* Individuals aged 20 years or over and have been unemployed for three months but have started a  Modern Apprenticeship. 

In addition, the ERI is also available to employers recruiting an employee, who matches one of the following criteria:   

*   All individuals progressing from a National Training Programme to a job 

*   All 16 to 24-year-olds, who have progressed to a job from specific  employability provision delivered by Barnardos and Action for Children.

So if you've been thinking about taking on new staff, or you're someone who is seeking new employment, it will be worth checking out the ERI funding.

For more information please contact the Employer Helpline on 0800 783 6000 or the Skills Development Scotland website.