Grants For Employers To Take On Unemployed People

5th March 2013

Businesses urged to find out if they can benefit from Highland Council Employment Grant.

Highland businesses are being invited to find out if a Council funding scheme can help their business grow while assisting unemployed people to return to work.

The Highland Council’s Employment Grant has been developed in order to help businesses to take on and train staff in difficult economic times, and has already been a resounding success. More than 70 new jobs have already been created in The Highland Council region across a broad range of industries.

Supported by the European Social Fund, the Employment Grant provides a wage subsidy to businesses that create permanent posts for people who are currently out of work.

Councillor Thomas Prag, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Planning, Environment and Development Committee, said “This is something we don’t want anyone to miss out on and time is running out for Highland businesses to get this particular grant. The chance of getting a grant worth up to 50% of a new recruit’s wages for six months to one year has to be worth looking at. We know that taking on new employees can be tricky for smaller companies, so we’ll also give them support from Business Gateway’s specialist Recruitment Advisors and Regional Development Officers.”

The scheme addresses two key challenges in the Highlands: helping unemployed people return to work, and helping businesses grow. One business to benefit from the scheme is Mowat Technical & Design Services in Caithness.

They said of the scheme: “The Employment Grant has helped Mowat Technical & Design Services Ltd with the costs of employing a new member of staff during the first twelve months of their employment. The assistance provided by the grant has assisted us to recruit a new member of staff to ensure long term growth of the company during difficult economic times.”

Their recruit, Mark, thinks the grant is a great idea because: “It has allowed me to begin on my chosen career path with a local company with the benefit of studying at the local college.”

There are limited funds available for the Employment Grant, so businesses who would like to find out if they could benefit can find further information at: www.highland.gov.uk/employgrants or contact one of Business Gateway’s recruitment advisers, Marianne Ross mob: (07867 394346 marianne.ross[AT]highland-opportunity.com) or Emma Gunn (07867 394347, emma.gunn[AT]highland-opportunity.com).