Islington Council is calling on local employers to help boost youth employment in the borough by offering young people weekend work and after-school jobs.

The appeal comes as nine teenagers are set to start work – outside of school and college hours – as part of the council’s ‘Saturday Jobs’ scheme, in which young people can acquire valuable experience of a real job with local employers such as Travis Perkins and Montcalm Hotels.

The paid placements last for twelve weeks and are part of the council’s push – explained in the Islington Employment Commission’s final report – to work with schools and businesses to provide more job opportunities for young people.

Studies suggest that working a manageable number of hours during the school year or summer break can lead to young people finding more suitable employment, better career networks, and even higher incomes later in life.

For businesses, offering experiences like weekend placements can better enable staff to learn management skills, boost their company’s profile in the community, and help combat what is often perceived as a shortage of employability skills among school leavers.

Islington Council’s executive member for economic development, Cllr Asima Shaikh, said: “We owe it to our young people to give them the help they need to get the careers they deserve and helping to provide weekend work is a pivotal part of these efforts.

“Thank you to all our local employers taking part in the scheme.”

Local employers can find out more about Islington’s ‘Saturday Jobs’ scheme by emailing [email protected].