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What is the new benefits boot camp for young people?
The government has just announced that young jobseekers will need to go on a three-week boot camp, called the Intensive Activity Programme (IAP). Find out more about this and how it will work…
If you’re aged between 18 and 21 and you want to claim benefits, you’ll soon need to go on a boot camp to “prepare you for the world of work”.
The government has announced that these new plans will come into force from April 2017, although it’s being trialled in some parts of the UK already.
How the jobseekers boot camp works
If you sign up for out of work benefit, you’ll automatically be enrolled on to the boot camp and you’ll need to do it within the first three weeks of claiming.
It’s compulsory if you want to claim what young jobseekers are entitled to, which is £57.90 a week.
The government says it’ll take about 71 hours (over three weeks), be mainly classroom based, and you’ll do things like:
- Practice job applications.
- Practice interview techniques.
- Search for jobs.
You’ll get allocated a dedicated “work coach” who will review what you’re doing and what you’ve achieved.
You’ll need to take a job, apprenticeship, traineeship or unpaid work experience within six months otherwise you’ll lose your benefits.
What’s the point of the work boot camp?
The idea is to get you work-ready within six months.
The government says it is all part of its plans to end long-term youth unemployment and give everyone a chance to reach their potential.
It has pledged to create three million more apprenticeships by 2020, giving them the same legal status as degrees.
Matt Hancock, who chairs a cross-government taskforce called Earn or Learn, told the BBC: “We are penalising nobody because nobody who does the right thing and plays by the rules will lose their benefits.
“This is about giving young people more support.”
But others have raised concerns over the plans, including children’s charity Barnardo’s which took to Twitter to say: “Government plans for NEETs have been described as a ‘boot camp’ but young people need to feel supported, not punished.”
The Labour party also urged the government to do more, highlighting that young people are three times more likely to be out of work.
Stephen Timms, Labour’s acting shadow work and pensions secretary, said: “We urgently need more and better training to skill young people up, but the government needs to do far more to make sure there are jobs and apprenticeships at the end of it so that these young people can build a future.”
What do you think of the new boot camp plans? Do you think they’ll help you to get a job? Let us know in the comments below.
Related links:
How to use social media to help your career
Three top tips for getting started with your career
By Natasha Boydell.
