New Guernsey government scheme to recruit more locals

A new scheme aims to help Guernsey employers recruit more local people who are out of work.

"Stepping In" is a joint initiative between the Social Security, Housing and Commerce and Employment States departments.

The departments hope it will reduce the number of short-term housing licences being issued.

Under the scheme the departments will support Guernsey employers to train unemployed jobseekers.

'Support employers'

The training will enable those seeking work to step into the roles of current licence holders when existing licences expire.

Deputy Allister Langlois, Social Security Minister, said: "We considered how we could support employers in training unemployed jobseekers for some of those jobs which are currently filled by licence holders.

"By Social Security paying for a local jobseeker to work alongside the licence holder, for up to three months, we hope that this will allow employers time to deliver the required training."

Deputy Mike Hadley, Deputy Minister for Housing said: "By helping employers to train local unemployed jobseekers we hope to reduce the dependency on short-term licences."

The scheme will be run for a year as a pilot before its impact and success is assessed.

Currently, anyone from outside Guernsey wanting to live and work in the island must obtain a housing licence, but concerns have been raised by some politicians that those licences "block jobs for locals".