Higher Skills for Business scheme

Higher Skills for Business scheme

Keywords Small to medium-sized enterprises, Graduates, Unemployment

The Higher Skills for Business scheme helps unemployed graduates in Merseyside to find jobs in local small and medium-size firms. The project was set up by the University of Liverpool, with support from the EU structural funds, and is run in partnership with training providers and the private sector. All graduates complete an intensive business course, covering marketing,finance, information technology, communication, teambuilding and leadership. Their skills are then carefully matched with the requirements of individual businesses and put to work during a six-month placement.

Driving Regional Development: EU Structural Funds Programmes in the UKreports that, in the first eight years of the scheme, more than 2,500 graduates have found full-time employment, with around 60 per cent remaining in local companies. Over 700 new jobs have been created in Merseyside and around 1,500 small firms have become more competitive. The EU has contributed £2.5 million towards the £5.8 million cost of the scheme. Further information is available by faxing the Graduates into Employment unit, on +44 151 709 0576.