Empey announces additional support in respect to economic downturn

Employment Minister, Sir Reg Empey, today announced that people participating in government employment and training programmes will soon be eligible for higher levels of assistance towards childcare costs.

This new initiative comes into effect from April 2009 and will be made available to lone parents and partners of certain benefit claimants participating on the Department for Employment and Learning’s Steps to Work, Training for Success and Pathways to Work Preparation programmes.

The Minister said: “If Northern Ireland is to succeed both economically and socially, we need to ensure that the skills of all of our people are harnessed. Assistance towards the cost of childcare is an important factor in many lone parents and partners decisions to take part in employment and training programmes.

“This increase in the level of assistance will greatly help those with childcare responsibilities to join programmes such as Steps to Work, which will provide participants with the skills to find and sustain employment.”

The Minister also announced additional initiatives to enhance the support available to all those part taking in the Steps to Work programme. These are:

· Additional funding will be made available through the Department’s new flagship programme Steps to Work for a range of short training courses to address the needs of a changing client base such as those from technical, managerial and professional occupations who now find themselves out of work; and

· Additional assistance for travel costs will also be made available to facilitate work placements beyond their local area for those participants availing of the Steps to Work programme.

The Minister concluded: “During these difficult economic times, I am determined to introduce measures to further assist the unemployed and economically inactive, especially lone parents and partners, to take part in employment and training programmes. These initiatives will help us to continue to build a sustainable and profitable economy. ”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. Details of the new provision are:

Child Care Support

The new increased levels of assistance towards childcare costs are up to £240 per week (£48 x 5 days = £240) per family where the childcare is provided by a registered childminder/nursery (an increase from £140 per week) or up to a maximum of £100 per week (£20 x 5days =£100) per family where the childcare is provided by a relative (an increase from £85 per week).

Short Courses

This provision is aimed at increasing the employability of participants by giving them the opportunity to undertake or develop new occupational skills and obtain a qualification. These short training courses, lasting up to a maximum of to 10 days, currently attract funding of £30 per day (£300 in total). It is now intended to increase this to a maximum of £2,000 per case on an exceptional basis.

Travel Costs

The current economic climate has greatly reduced the number of work placements available to Steps to Work participants and contracted providers are increasingly experiencing the need to find suitable work experience placement beyond normal daily travel distance. To ease the excess travel cost burden on contracted provider net weekly travel costs in excess of £25 per week, after appropriate deductions, will be funded by the Department. Participants on the Steps to Work will continue to pay the first £4 of weekly travel costs.

2. Media queries to the Department for Employment and Learning Press Office on 028 9025 7872. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.

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