21/02/2012

Tesco To Offer Paid Work Placements

After a public outcry and calls to boycott, Tesco has said it will now offer paid placements with a guaranteed offer of a job to people on the governments work experience scheme.

While it is still involved with the governments Workfare scheme, Tesco has said that the 1,500 unemployed people referred to them over the next six months will now be given the option of moving from an unpaid work placement onto a four-week paid placement with a guaranteed job offer at the end.

Richard Brasher, CEO of Tesco UK, said: "We know it is difficult for young people to give up benefits for a short-term placement with no permanent job at the end of it. So this guarantee that a job will be available, provided the placement is completed satisfactorily, should be a major confidence boost for young people wanting to enter work on a permanent basis."

They will also continue dialogue with the Department for Work and Pensions with the aim of making sure the scheme in voluntary and that jobseekers would not be penalized should they withdraw.

Members of the Right to Work campaign invaded a Tesco store in Central London on Saturday to protest at a job advert offering "jobseekers allowance plus expenses".

Retailers including Superdrug and Maplins, and mental health charity Mind, have recently withdrawn from the work experience scheme.

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

17 February 2015
Plans Announced To Make Young People Work For Benefits
The Prime Minister has announced a proposal for 18 to 21-year-olds claiming benefits to do daily work experience. The proposed reform, known as Community Work Programme, would see young people not in work, education or training, required to complete daily work experience, alongside continuing to look for work in order to qualify for benefits.
17 July 2006
Parents warned over children's internet use
A third of children, many as young as 11, use blogs and social networking sites at least two or three times a week, yet two-thirds of parents don't know what a blog is, a new report has revealed. The 'Get I.T.
07 October 2014
Fifth Tesco Executive Asked To 'Step Aside'
A fifth Tesco executive has been asked to step aside, while the supermarket continues to investigate an alleged £250 million profit forecast overstatement. Kevin Grace, commercial director at Tesco has been asked to step aside, as part of the investigation, according to a report by the Financial Times.
17 August 2005
Government recommends care home changes
A Government's action plan to improve the quality of care home services has been welcomed as a "positive response" by the OFT. However, consumer group 'Which?' prompted the original OFT inquiry, has criticised the proposed reforms as "vague" and called for more detail to be included.
09 October 2015
UK Construction Output Falls In August
Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed a fall in construction output for the month of August. In August 2015, output in the UK's construction industry dropped by 4.3% compared with July 2015. Compared with August 2014, it fell by 1.3%, its first year-on-year fall since May 2013. All new work declined by 3.