Employer Recruitment Incentives (ERIs) are to help stimulate demand in the labour market while also protecting, supporting, and creating good quality jobs that support a greener, fairer, and stronger labour market. ERIs also play an important role in supporting those with the greatest barriers to employment, to enable them to obtain and remain in sustainable employment.

ERIs have been developed to integrate and link fully with existing skills and employability programmes and are available to use as a contribution to the additional costs of recruiting and sustaining eligible individuals in employment. ERIs can be utilised in several ways such as for additional supervisory costs, training, initial travel to work costs, specialist in work support, or wages.

ERIs will provide and protect employment opportunities for those with the greatest barriers to employment, to enable people to obtain and remain in sustainable employment. It will support local people, employers and a fairer and stronger labour market.

As an employer receiving ERI support, you have a commitment to invest in and improve outcomes for individuals. All employers in receipt of an ERI are encouraged to promote and embed fair work in line with the Fair Work First Guidance.

ERI Objectives

The objectives of ERI are to provide consistency across Scotland with flexibility to adapt to local circumstances enabling a responsive approach which meets the needs of individuals and employers.

ERI aims to positively contribute to a fairer more inclusive economy and to help address many of the deep-seated challenges of inequality and disadvantage within the Scottish labour market.

How does the fund work?

Angus Council will pay the fund directly to employers on an instalment basis.

New employees must not start the post until funding is agreed.

For a job to be eligible for funding it must:

• be a new role in the organisation, not to cover sickness/maternity or a redundant post
• offer a minimum of 52 weeks employment
• guarantee a minimum of 16 hours employment each week (*conditions apply)
• have a contract of employment i.e. permanent contract, a fixed term contract for 52 weeks or more or a fixed term contract for the duration of the Modern Apprenticeship
• employees must receive a written contract of employment within 4 weeks of starting (we will need a copy of this)

Who can I employ?

You can employ someone who meets the following criteria:

• A resident of Angus
• Unemployed or leaving full-time education with no positive destination
• Aged between 16-67
• Meets eligibility barrier criteria

What does the fund offer?

The fund offers an employer a tiered amount of up to £8,000 over a period of 26 weeks for up to two employees. This is based on the hourly rate of pay and contracted hours for each employee as shown below:

A job with 16-20 contracted hours per week, paid at an hourly rate no less than the National Minimum Wage – £2,000

A job with 21-29 contracted hours per week, paid at an hourly rate no less than the National Minimum Wage – £4,000

A job with 30+ contracted hours per week, paid at an hourly rate of no less than the National Minimum Wage – £6,000

A job with 16-20 contracted hours per week, paid at an hourly rate no less than the Real Living Wage – £4,000

A job with 21-29 contracted hours per week, paid at an hourly rate no less than the Real Living Wage – £6,000

A job with 30+ contracted hours per week, paid at an hourly rate of no less than the Real Living Wage – £8,000

How do we pay the grant funding?

Please see payment schedule below:

ERI Criteria

Individuals are eligible for Employer Recruitment Incentive support if they are unemployed and meet one or more of the following barriers to employment criteria:

• Disabled (those who have an impairment or long-term health condition)
• Experiencing mental health issues
• Care experienced
• Primary Carer
• Person with a conviction (including CPO’s)
• Person aged over 50 years
• No or limited work experience
• Early leavers from the armed forces, veterans, and ex-forces personnel
• Long-term unemployed
• Person who has failed their ESA Work Capability Assessment
• People from Ethnic Minority backgrounds and racial groups, with a targeted approach informed by local population data
• Gypsy/travelling community
• Partner of current or ex-Armed Forces personnel
• Person requiring support with language, literacy, or numeracy, including those for whom English is an additional language
• Lone parent
• Low skilled
• A young person who was receiving additional support for learning in school
• Refugee or other granted leave to stay in the UK
• Homeless person (including temporary or unstable accommodation)
• Person affected by substance misuse
• Living in a household with children in poverty
• Person living in the 15% most employment deprived SIMD geographies (see ESF Scottish Local Authority Employment Deprived Area Postcodes list)
• Person living in an area defined as “rural area” or “very remote rural”
• Living in a jobless household
• Armed Forces Veteran

Contact us

You can contact a Skills Adviser by calling 01307 492039. The team can also be contacted via email on skillsteam@angus.gov.uk.