Employer opportunities

Whilst you can find information and support like grants from here, we also have opportunities for you to actively contribute to skills development and wider Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.

Email the Employer Engagement Team to find out more

Solihull's Youth Trailblazer

Solihull's Youth Trailblazer offers a financial contribution to employers in return for providing work placements or employment opportunities to local young people. We will match your opportunities with young people aged 18-21 based on the skills needs of your business. Up to £5,000 is available for a paid role at or above national living wage, or £1,500 for a work experience placement. We will support you throughout the placement.

Email us or refer to this eflyer to find out more.

Frequently asked questions about Youth Trailblazer

Eligibility

Q: Can I take on someone that I know?

All young people benefitting from the opportunities must be registered with and receiving support from Solihull Council’s Employment and Skills Team (EST). Suitable candidates will then be shared with you to consider / interview. A connection with a suitable candidate would not preclude them from the opportunity.

Q: Do the young people have to be aged 18-21?

Yes, they must be 18-21 when they sign up for the programme.

Q: What is required of the employer?

To provide meaningful and appropriate tasks for the young person and engage with them throughout the placement. A Service Level Agreement (SLA) with Solihull Council which outlines all expectations will be provided before a commitment is made.

Q: Do I need to prepare anything for work experience?

It would be helpful for employers to create a work plan and prepare an induction pack / session for the young person to introduce them to the workplace, same as any new employee.

Q: For paid placements, what are the annual leave, sick leave or holiday entitlement?

It will align with your employee terms and conditions.

Process

Q: Do I have to do the interview and vetting?

Solihull Council’s Employment and Skills Team will present you a shortlist of suitable candidates. You can assess the candidates in the way that is the most appropriate. It can be an interview, a trial shift or a taster session.

Q: Is there any additional support for the employees?

There is additional support available through various schemes, we will make young people and employers aware of this, dependent on the role and the young person’s circumstances.

Q: What support can I get?

You will receive in work support from a member of the Employment and Skills team. This will include workplace visits and contact by phone / email to ensure the placement is working well for both the employer and the candidate.

Q: Who do I contact if I have any issues or questions?

Our Project Officer will be available to talk about any issues you may have at any stage of the Youth Trailblazer, while our Employment Advisor will be the point of contact for the young person.

Financial contribution

Q: What is the schedule and method of payment process?

There will be three stages for payment - onboarding, midway through the placement, and upon completion. It must be paid to an appropriate business account over bank transfer. Further detail will be included in the SLA.

Q: Does the placement have to be full-time?

Weekly hours are to be determined to suit the young person and the employer. For unpaid work experience, it will be 40-100 hours over a minimum of 3 weeks. For paid roles, it will be 12 weeks minimum at or above National Living Wage. £5,000 is for a full-time paid role. If it is a part-time or shared job, it will be pro-rata.

Q: How long do we have to keep the young person on?

The placement will have to last for 12 weeks. This can be full or part time. Ideally, the paid role can turn into a permanent position after the 12 weeks. If it ends before 12 weeks, the payment will be pro-rata.

Q: If someone does work experience first then becomes an employee, how much can I get?

One financial contribution will be paid per young person, however there is potential to convert the £1,500 financial contribution into the £5,000 financial contribution if it turns into a full-time job. The maximum financial contribution for every young person will be £5,000. Ideally, the paid role can turn into a permanent position after the 12 weeks.

Q: What happens if the young person leaves, do I need to return the funds?

You can still get the onboarding incentive and any other staged payments that have been made.

Q: What do I have to do to receive the financial contribution?

You will need to offer an unpaid work placement with 40- 100 hours, or a paid 12-week placement to be eligible. You will provide meaningful and appropriate tasks for the candidates and engage with them throughout the placement, meeting requirements as set out in the Service Level Agreement with Solihull Council.

Ideally, the paid role can turn into a permanent position after the 12 weeks.

Solihull Careers Hub

Enterprise Advisers

Enterprise Advisers (EA’s) are volunteers that work directly with Careers Leaders and Senior Leadership of schools and colleges to develop careers programmes.

EA’s utilise their business experience and professional networks to ensure the careers strategy is effective and puts opportunities with local employers at the heart of a young person’s education. EA’s help schools and colleges to identify their priorities, focus their efforts and allows them to expand their employer network.

Do you want to join our team of EAs? Email us to find out more.

Cornerstone Employers

Cornerstone Employers provide strategic support to the Hub and the schools and colleges, investing time and resource to benefit young people. Working with other Cornerstone Employers, they share best practice and collaborate to meet the need of the schools and colleges.

Do you want to become a Cornerstone Employer? Email us or refer to this page to find out more.

Work Experience

Good quality work experience can help young people make informed decisions for their careers. You can better understand your future workforce or customer groups in the borough to improve your products or services. Find out more about modern work experience from the Careers & Enterprise Company.

Introducing your business to schools

You can start connecting with young people through delivering careers talks, supporting careers fairs, mock interviews or CV reviews. This will help them get a better understanding of your company and inspire them to work in your sector. Explore the various ways to engage with education.

Engagement opportunities

You can educate and inspire your future workforce in the borough through hosting site tours, workshops on employability skills and skills development and facilitating interactions between teachers or young people with industry professionals.

Have a look at the different levels of engagement with schools from this flyer.

You may also have a look at employer standards from the Careers & Enterprise Company.

Do you want to know how you are doing in terms of engagement with schools? Take a free assessment to find out more.

School partnership

By committing to work with a school collaboratively, you can achieve mutual goals for your business and the partnering school. Not only can you contribute to the careers education provision at school, but also better understand the younger generation through interactions and conversations.

Access to training to transform your workforce

To help employers and schools to develop their skills to future-proof their workforce, Solihull Careers Hub can refer or signpost professionals to training including Continuing professional development (CPD) courses.