3000 NEW JOBS IN SPORTS AND CULTURE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

The latest round of successful bids for funding from the Government’s Future Jobs Fund includes 3,000 jobs in sport, health and fitness, 247 jobs with the National Trust and 50 creative roles with the Media Trust.

Ben Bradshaw said:

“Ten thousand new jobs for young people in sports and cultural organisations is a massive achievement.  I’m incredibly grateful to all the organisations that have recognised the opportunities offered by taking on enthusiastic young people and put together high quality bids for Government funding. 

“Let’s not forget that these are 10,000 high quality jobs, in sectors that are exciting and often very hard to break into.  The 3,000 jobs announced today are a good example of a range of posts we have now funded: activity co-ordinators working with young people, trainee gardeners for the National Trust and TV researchers for the Community Channel.  I’m sure that the vast majority of these young people are looking at a bright future in their chosen careers.”

Today’s announcement includes funding for:

* Fifty jobs for unemployed young people in London in a project co-ordinated by the Media Trust.  Working in communications posts in charities, the roles include: magazine assistant; press office junior; film production assistants; and researchers for the UK-wide Community Channel.

* 3,000 jobs co-ordinated by the National Skills Academy for Sport and Active Leisure.  More than 80 employers will fill a wide range of vacancies in the sport, active leisure, community, health and fitness sectors. These organisations vary from national to local and represent a wide range of employers, including community organisations, colleges, sports governing bodies, local authorities and sports clubs.  Many of the jobs will be based in areas of high unemployment including Rochdale, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sheffield, Nottingham, Stoke, Wolverhampton, Hackney, Haringey, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Barking and Waltham Forest.

* 247 jobs with the National Trust, working as trainees in gardening, catering, visitor services, conservation and administration. The jobs are based at more than 70 National Trust sites across England and Wales, many in rural areas where jobs can be hard to find.  Guidance and training will be provided by experienced members of the National Trust staff, setting recruits up for a lasting career.

Jim Knight Minister for Employment said:

"I am delighted that over 10,000 Future Jobs Fund jobs will be created in culture and sports. This is part of Government's unprecedented guarantee that 18-24 year olds who are unemployed for six months will get a job, a work placement or a training opportunity.

"We are determined to give young people the chance to develop skills and get that all important foot on the career ladder. We have a deserved reputation for excellence in both these fields the world over and it is right that they play their part in helping young people."

The Future jobs Fund is a Department of Work and Pensions initiative that aims to create 170,000 jobs for young people aged 18- 24 and those living in unemployment hotspots who have been unemployed for six months or more. It forms part of the Young Persons Guarantee and contributes to the Backing Young Britain Campaign.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport agreed a target of creating 10,000 jobs across the sports and cultural sectors in May 2009.  Today’s announcement of more than 3,000 jobs takes DCMS beyond this target.