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New Deal for young people
If you are aged 18 to 24 the Jobcentre Plus New Deal for young people will help you find and keep a job or start to work for yourself.
New Deal for young people will help you improve the skills you have and learn new skills. While you are on New Deal for young people you will get help and support from a Jobcentre Plus personal adviser. They will help you look at what you can do, and to build on the skills you have.
If you are aged 18 to 24 and have been claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for six months or more, you must take part in New Deal for young people. If both you and your personal adviser decide that it is best, you may even be able to join if you have been claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for less than six months.
When you join New Deal for young people you will get a personal adviser. They will be from Jobcentre Plus and will help you at every stage of New Deal. They will check how you are doing and help you plan what to do next. This could be face-to-face or on the phone. You should talk to your personal adviser if you are not sure about something or you have a question.
The first stage of New Deal for young people is called ‘gateway’. It lasts for up to 16 weeks. At this stage you will meet your personal adviser every week so that they can find out what you can do, what sort of work you want, and how you can get it. They will help you:
If you don’t find a job in the first stage, you will join the second stage of New Deal for young people. This is called ‘options’ and will last at least 13 weeks. You and your personal adviser will decide what training and work experience you can do to help you find work. What you do will depend on what’s right for you.
If you still have not found a job, the final stage is ‘follow-through’. This will give you extra help and support to look for work. This stage can last for up to 26 weeks.
New Deal for young people offers you a real chance of finding a job. To get the most from it you must work with your personal adviser at all stages. You need to:
If you don’t do all these things, you may not be able to get Jobseeker’s Allowance. Your personal adviser will help you understand what you must do to make sure you carry on getting your benefits.
If Jobcentre Plus find an employer who can offer you the kind of work you want, they can help them pay your wages for the first few months as you settle in. This means you can be paid the going rate for the job.
One of the aims of New Deal for young people is to make sure you are better off in work than on benefit. Your personal adviser will help you work out what pay you need from a job so you don’t lose out.
If you find work through New Deal, there are some benefits you may still get. Your personal adviser will be able to tell you what benefits you can get.
As part of New Deal, you could get a mentor to give you extra support and advice. They will help you find and keep a job by listening to what you want and helping you decide what to do. Your mentor will be someone local. Ask your personal adviser if you would like a mentor.
To find out more about New Deal for young people, please contact your local Jobcentre Plus office.
Provided by Jobcentre Plus
