More than 50 young people who were out of work have now found jobs since October 2009 through the Future Jobs Fund.

The fund, which is part of the Action for Wiltshire programme to deal with the effects of the recession on the county, has helped 52 young people find work in the last three months.A further 21 have job offers will start work in the next couple of weeks. About a quarter of these job offers are with Wiltshire Council.

Wiltshire Council worked in partnership with a range of community partners to secure around £3m from the Government's Future Jobs Fund towards the end of last year.


The money is being used to create 450 additional or new temporary jobs across Wiltshire for 18-24 year olds who have been claiming Job Seekers Allowance for between 39 and 50 weeks an who otherwise would remain long-term unemployed.


Some of the recent appointments include:

* A future jobs fund project assistant and a mapping assistant with Wiltshire Council

* A young carers activities worker with Community First

* A community area plan development assistant with Trowbridge Community Area Futures

* An interactive media centre team member with Wiltshire College

* Trainee media researchers and trainee conservation workers with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust

* Horticulture technicians with North Wessex Training


Victoria, who is 20, was made unemployed in January 2009 and struggled to find work. She was unemployed for nine months before her job centre advisor informed her about Future Jobs Fund. Within a week she was attending interviews and within 10 days she had a job offer for a future jobs fund project assistant in the economy and enterprise department at Wiltshire Council. Before this offer she was beginning to lose hope of ever been employed again.


Victoria said: “Having this job at Wiltshire Council has improved my confidence and wellbeing greatly. I'm now busy from day to day assisting with the FJF recruitment process including visits to FJF employers. I have now been FJF project assistant for six weeks, the time has flown by! I have met so many new people and I do not want this experience to end!”