1.144 To ensure that every young person not already in work, education or training has support to get into the workplace, the Government is introducing the Youth Contract, worth a total of £940 million over the Spending Review period. The Youth Contract will:
• provide extra support from Jobcentre Plus for unemployed 18-24 year olds, with additional advisor time and a careers interview from the National Careers Service after three months on Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), and with weekly, rather than fortnightly, signing for all 18-24 year olds from month five. This will be more demanding than the current regime; and
• provide an offer of a work experience or a Sector Based Work Academy place for every unemployed 18-24 year old who wants one after three months on JSA, before they enter the Work Programme. The Government is providing an additional 250,000 places.
1.145 Those young people still unemployed after nine months on JSA will transfer to the Work Programme. In addition the Youth Contract will:
• provide funding for an estimated 160,000 wage incentives of £2,275 to make it easier for private sector employers to take on young people;
• ensure the funding for at least 40,000 incentive payments for small firms to take on young apprentices; and
• fund a new £50 million a year programme to provide support to some of the most disadvantaged 16-17 year olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) across the UK. This will provide vital support to help them to get into education, an apprenticeship or a job with training.