Fighting the recession back to work in 2010

How many of us have been feeling the strains of the credit crunch? I am sure it's fair to say that with Christmas out the way for another year, we are left with the burden of more debt. For those fortunate enough to have a job, returning back to work after the holidays seems a god send in disguise. Unfortunately, if you are unemployed the likelihood is you were queuing up outside the Job Centre this morning in search for work.

Today, more young people between 16-24 are unemployed than ever before, so why isn't the government doing enough to get people off benefits and back into paid employment. Government incentives do little to encourage the everyday person that it can help the unemployed back to work. So what are the alternatives? Training courses out there are not cheap and to qualify for free government training you must be already out of work and claiming benefits for at least six months, however this will change to one year, after a new legislation is passed in the Houses of Parliament.

More help is being offered online 'to encourage people back to work', I've found the new official UK Government website, Direct gov offering advice on to 'how to plan your job hunt and sell yourself to future employers' which include 5 steps to help get you back into work, http://www.direct.gov.co.uk/. You can watch a video of the new commercial featuring celebrities like, Kelly Brook, who are supporting the new marketing campaign, which is quite light hearted and encourages young people to improve their prospects by further education and training alongside professionals in the work place to gain new skills.

So what about government training? Work placements are a good start as they offer ongoing training with an employer and in some cases can lead to ongoing paid employment. Voluntary and project work is very rewarding, as you can gain a variety of new skills which are invaluable to a potential employer, while making a positive contribution towards the local community.

This is where organisations like Poached Creative, a young social enterprise and What's Up Information, set up to make a positive impact on the lives of young people in and around Hackney, come into their own. http://www.whatsupinformation.com/