New Deal for Young People.
If you are aged between 18 and 24 and you've been unemployed and claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for a year or more, then you are entitled to join the New Deal programme. In some cases you may be able to join earlier.
First steps
You will be invited to go to your local Jobcentre or Jobcentre Plus office for a chat with your New Deal personal adviser. He or she is there to be your contact throughout the whole New Deal programme. It's their job to:
- get to know a little about you so you end up with a job you can enjoy
- discuss with you what kind of job you would like to get
- draw up an action plan to help you get that job
- help you look and apply for suitable jobs
- help you overcome anything that might be stopping you getting work. This could be anything from a problem with reading and writing to difficulties with traveling to a workplace
- identify any extra support you might need, such as writing letters of application or jobsearch techniques.
All of this will happen over a period of four months during a number of informal discussions. The whole point is to develop a plan that is right for you. Everyone's different, but with the help of your personal adviser, you'll soon have some direction towards getting the job you want.
What's next?
If you haven't got a job during the first stage, your personal adviser will arrange a package of full-time help to meet your specific needs. Depending on what is best for you, this might include:
- work experience with an employer or voluntary organisation
- training for a specific job
- courses to develop the skills that employers want
- practical help with applying for jobs
- interview practice.
Personal advisers are experts in the field of job hunting and have many contacts with local businesses and training organisations. If, after the second stage, you haven't managed to find work, your personal adviser will continue to help you search and secure a job.
What you should do
If you have any questions about joining New Deal for Young People, you can visit the New Deal Website. There you'll find answers to your questions and hear from others who have been on New Deal. Alternatively, If you still have questions, please drop into your local Jobcentre or Jobcentre Plus office and ask about New Deal. |