The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the National Citizen Service (NCS) Trust have named eight businesses and charitable organisations to deliver job opportunities for young people though their youth employment initiative.

Organisations selected include the English Football League (EFL) Trust, the charity set up to support communities by the EFL’s 72 clubs.

All organisations selected will work with 18- to 24-year-olds to deliver the NCS’s UK Year of Service programme to offer nine-month full time paid placements.

Other partners include Calico Enterprise, City Year UK, Groundwork NE, HYPE Merseyside, Fleetwood Town Community Trust, Flying Futures and One Manchester.

The NCS was created under the coalition government to provide participation opportunities for young people.

Its work experience year of service programme will focus on young people who are “furthest from the labour market” in the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and Humber. All will be paid the living wage.

Funding includes offering young people training, support as well as help to access further education.

"These new partners will provide young people with brilliant opportunities to gain
new skills and improve their employability,” said civil society minister Stuart Andrew.

The programme’s launch follows a three-year pilot that support 336 young people in paid placements. More than half of those that took part were reliant on benefits and four in five went directly into work, education or training following their placement.

“We are very excited to announce our new UK Year of Service partners who collectively offer a wealth of expertise in youth skills and employment in local communities.,” said NCS Trust chief executive Mark Gifford.

“We are proud of the UK Year of Service track record through the pilot and look forward to building on this success to support more young people to become world ready and work ready.”

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