This is part of a new North East Economic Recovery and Skills Fund (NEERSF) to support economic recovery for businesses, boost employment and enhance skill levels for people who are based in the North East of Scotland.

Aberdeen City Council will oversee the delivery of this programme with a range of public and private employers and education partners. Part of this fund is designed to provide paid graduate internships and work placements for those not covered by other funds.

This fund is for those hit hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic and oil and gas downturn, to support graduates to develop employability skills and provide valuable work experience, which will support and enable them to remain in sustainable employment, while supporting businesses to grow.

The second part of this fund provides six months of work-based training opportunities for those aged over 25 years old and those not covered by the Young Person’s Guarantee or Kickstart fund schemes.

Councillor Jenny Laing, council leader, said: “Aberdeen City Council is committed to boosting employment and enhancing our local skill set. It is great to be part of an incentive that will support those furthest from the labour market to develop workplace skills and support individuals to upskill and enter into specific roles, including green jobs, hospitality, health and social care and others hit by the pandemic.”

The scheme is aimed at:

• Recent graduates from college/university who are interested in a job and paid internship opportunities for a maximum of 12-months of employment in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire;
• Those aged over 25 years old (either unemployed or at risk of long-term unemployment) and interested in a maximum of 6-months work-based training programme within a local business in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

The NEERSF’s paid internships and work-based training opportunities placements can start from January 2022, with the final placements ending in September 2022 (the six months scheme) or in January 2023 (the twelve months scheme).

Aberdeen City Council will accept expressions of interest until 18 January 2022.

To be eligible you need to be:

• Living in Aberdeen City or Aberdeenshire
• Able to evidence that you have the right to live and work in the UK
• A college or university graduate not covered by Young Person’s Guarantee or Kickstart fund schemes
• Aged over 25 years old to apply for the work-based training opportunities.