Youth Unemployment (Commonwealth) Debating Bill

Transcription

1 Youth Unemployment (Commonwealth) Debating Bill CONTENTS 1 Targets for reduction in rates of youth unemployment 2 Apprenticeships 3 Internships 4 Advice for employers Penalties for non-attendance and failure to complete placements 6 Reporting to Parliament 7 Financial provisions 8 Short title and commencement Bill 00 /2

2 Youth Unemployment (Commonwealth) Debating Bill 1 A BILL TO Make provision for universal targets for Commonwealth countries for the reduction of youth unemployment; to make provision for paid internships and apprenticeships for unemployed people aged between 16 and 2 years in those countries; and for connected purposes. B E IT ENACTED by the Queen s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: 1 Targets for reduction in rates of youth unemployment The Secretary of State shall set annual targets for the (a) reduction in the percentage of the workforce comprised of people aged between 16 and 2 years who are unemployed; (b) number of (i) apprenticeships and (ii) internships taken up by unemployed people aged between 16 and 2; and (c) percentage of (i) apprenticeships and (ii) internships in paragraph (b) completed. 2 Apprenticeships (1) The Secretary of State shall extend existing schemes of apprenticeship grants to incentivise employers in businesses of all sizes and in a broad range of disciplines to take on new apprentices aged between 16 and 2. The extended grant scheme shall be known as the Commonwealth Jobs Fund. (2) Placements on the Commonwealth Jobs Fund shall be targeted particularly at unemployed people aged between 16 and 2 (a) living in extreme poverty; (b) whose education has been affected by conflict; (c) living in rural areas; (d) with disabilities; and (e) who are women. (3) Employers must 1 20 Bill 00 /2

3 2 Youth Unemployment (Commonwealth) Debating Bill (a) (b) demonstrate a commitment to employ the apprentice(s) for a minimum of 12 months or the time it takes to complete the apprenticeship framework, whichever is greater; and agree to pay a minimum hourly apprenticeship wage, to be determined by the Secretary of State. 3 Internships (1) The Secretary of State shall introduce a scheme of internship grants for employers to incentivise employers in businesses of all sizes and in a broad range of disciplines to take on new interns aged between 16 and 2. The scheme shall be known as the Commonwealth Internship Initiative. (2) Placements on the Commonwealth Internship Initiative shall be targeted particularly at unemployed people aged between 16 and 2 (a) living in extreme poverty; (b) whose education has been affected by conflict; (c) living in rural areas; (d) with disabilities; and (e) who are women. (3) Employers must (a) demonstrate a commitment to employ the intern(s) for a minimum of 12 months or the time it takes to complete the internship programme, whichever is greater; and (b) agree to pay a minimum hourly internship wage, to be determined by the Secretary of State. 4 Advice for employers The Secretary of State shall set up a dedicated telephone helpline for employers wishing to offer young people employment, training and work experience placements. The helpline shall be staffed by trained employees with a full knowledge of relevant youth employment schemes. A parallel single online information service shall also be established, which shall include links to social networking sites. Penalties for non-attendance and failure to complete placements (1) Participants in the apprenticeship and internship schemes referred to in sections 2 and 3 shall be required to meet agreed targets for attendance of both on and off the job training. (2) Participants who do not meet the required, agreed targets for attendance on the scheme onto which they have been accepted during the first 6 months of the placement will be required to (a) refund fifty per cent of the wages paid to them under the scheme; and (b) terminate their employment. (3) Failure to complete a placement on either paid for by the Commonwealth Jobs Fund or as part of the Commonwealth Internship Initiative shall disqualify the employee from applying for other placements under either scheme

4 Youth Unemployment (Commonwealth) Debating Bill 3 6 Reporting to Parliament The Secretary of State shall use the annual targets set out in section 1 as the basis for regular reports to Parliament on recruitment to, retention on, and attendance and completion of apprenticeship and internship placements. The reports shall also include statistics on levels of youth unemployment. In the first year of operation of the schemes set out in sections 2 and 3 the Secretary shall report to Parliament each quarter, and thereafter reports shall be made annually. 7 Financial provisions There shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament (a) any expenditure incurred under or by virtue of this Act by a government department, and (b) any increase attributable to the Act in the sums payable under any other Act out of money so provided. 8 Short title and commencement (1) This Act may be cited as the Youth Unemployment (Commonwealth) Debating Act (2) This Act comes into force at the end of a period of 2 months beginning with the day on which it is passed. 1

5 Youth Unemployment (Commonwealth) Debating Bill A BILL To make provision for universal targets for Commonwealth countries for the reduction of youth unemployment; to make provision for paid internships and apprenticeships for unemployed people aged between 16 and 2 years in those countries; and for connected purposes. Presented by the Commonwealth Youth Parliament. Ordered to be Printed, 3 December Parliamentary copyright House of Commons 2012 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament Licence, which is published at PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS LONDON THE STATIONERY OFFICE LIMITED Printed in the United Kingdom by The Stationery Office Limited x.xx Bill 00 (xxxxxx) /2 xxxbarxxx