In 2009, the Government announced that Greater Manchester would be awarded up to £52 million to create up to 8,000 jobs across the city-region over the following two years.
The money comes from the Future Jobs Fund announced in the Chancellor's Budget in March 2009 and is part of the Young Person’s Guarantee.
The Future Jobs Fund (FJF) is a £1 billion investment by the Department for Work and Pensions intended to create around 150,000 new jobs across Britain to benefit long-term unemployed young people in deprived communities. Jobs will last a minimum of six months, employ an individual for at least 25 hours a week and pay at least the National Minimum Wage. Individuals started work with FJF in October 2009 and the programme is due to finish in March 2011.
The money is being used to create jobs in public services over and above the normal levels of spending. It will fund projects such as street repairs, housing refurbishment, and in galleries and museums and in the care sector.
The programme is a challenge fund which invited public, private and voluntary sector organisations to submit bids for funding.
In Greater Manchester, the Commission for the New Economy (NE) formerly Manchester Enterprises, submitted a single bid on behalf of AGMA for all 10 local authority areas in time for the June 2009 deadline. NE’s successful bid included a commitment to including voluntary sector groups as providers of FJF jobs, and some local authorities have already had discussions with their local infrastructure organisations. GMCVO estimates that around 750 jobs in Greater Manchester’s third sector could be created.
♦ An explanation of the Future Jobs Fund and of the potential for participation in the scheme by voluntary organisations in Greater Manchester is discussed in a briefing paper produced by GMCVO. AGMA has also produced a briefing note including FAQs for prospective third sector employers. These two documents are attached – as are two presentations given at an event held by GMCVO in October 2009 and job vacancy templates for prospective host employers.