County mayor 'determined' digital badge scheme will bring young people into work
The scheme aims to focus on young people not in work, education or training
Young people in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough can now prove their skills to employers using new digital badges.
The scheme helps those not in work, education, or training (NEET) show skills that don’t fit on a paper CV.
The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) is working with the Region of Learning - a project that aims to help develop learning, skills and career opportunities for young people facing barriers to access - to deliver the scheme.
CPCA hope the digital badges can give young people a chance to build a portfolio of skills that will help them into work.
Mayor 'determined to give more people a chance'
"Digital badges are a new way to help young people prove they've got the skills employers value, things like communication, problem-solving, resilience and teamwork," Paul Bristow, mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said.
"Too many young people are out of work and I’m determined to give more of them a chance to get a good job."
The scheme is being built into other programmes such as the youth guarantee and regional internships.
CPCA wants the scheme to allow interns to leave with digital badges, which show they've gained skills ready for the workplace.
The authority had already said it's setting up an initiative to get more 16 to 21-year-olds into work, such as increasing the number of apprenticeships.
This week, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said unemployment is set to peak this year, but fall from 2027 to 2030.
Figures from the Department for Education show 3.9% of 16-17-year-olds living in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough were identified as NEET, above the national average.