The deadline for applications for the Future Jobs Fund has now passed. This leaves our plan to create an Incubator in Woking Surrey on hold. This would have taken 18-24 year old long term unemployed off the dole and into a training programme. Addressing their lack of self esteem and the ability to sell their skills to prospective employers.
When the Con Lib government came to power there was an element of throwing the baby out with the bath water. If it wasn’t invented by the new requiem it had to be cancelled to save money. I have spoken extensively in my blog about the failings of the Future Jobs Fund. But it at least gave funding to organisations to create opportunities for the long term unemployed.
We are left with the hope that after the Spending Review, on the 20th October, will introduce new schemes for the long termed unemployed. With the likelihood that these will start after Easter 2011.
The Big Society concept of payment by results will mean that any new Incubator will have to be properly capitalised. The Social IPO web site and events have been set up to address this.
It has also proposed that new job creation schemes and help for new businesses will not be targeted to the South East.
These factors point to the setting up of a national Incubator network called Small Business Success Centre.
I will post more on my blog, E newsletter and on this site about the development of this project.
