The Employment Grants Scheme

The Employment Grants Scheme (EGS) is a wage subsidy project that offers financial incentives to SMEs in the Highland Council Area to employ certain categories of disadvantaged people. EGS encourages the creation of additional permanent posts for unemployed people, including people in receipt of benefits, returners to the labour market, disabled people and young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).

A basic subsidy is payable to employers over a maximum 26 weeks on the gross wage paid to the recruit at the following levels, subject to certain restrictions:-

30% towards the recruitment of an unemployed person

40% towards the recruitment of a person unemployed for more than 6 months

50% towards the recruitment of a disabled person

An extended subsidy is payable to employers over a maximum 52 weeks on the gross wage paid to recruits who are aged 16-19 and who would be classified as NEET. This extended period of wage subsidy is intended to be an incentive to SMEs to offer young people sustainable employment as trainees or apprentices.

EGS aims to increase competitiveness and improve the performance of local businesses, whilst improving access to jobs for unemployed people to allow them to remain within their own community. It complements the range of services offered under the Government’s New Deal programme and specifically targets young people with enhanced intervention.

This is a project part financed by the European Social Fund (ESF), working in partnership with the Highlands and Islands Partnership Programme.

Contact Margaret Mackenzie at Highland Opportunity in Alness on 01349 880657

info@highland-opportunity.com