May is Child Employment Awareness Month and the Isle of Wight Council is raising awareness of child employment legislation to ensure children engaged in part-time employment do so legally and safely. Children and young people can be employed in part-time work from the age of 13 to the end of compulsory school leavers age, which is the last Friday in June of Year 11. To work, a young person must have a work permit and it is the legal responsibility of the employer to apply for one. It is illegal for a young person to work without one, and an employer can be prosecuted, fined and have their insurance invalidated if they employ a child without one. The permits are free, valid for 12 months and easy to apply for. Rachael Williams, the Isle of Wight Council’s Education and Inclusion Manager, said:
“Employment can offer wonderful opportunities for young people to gain experience and valuable skills. However, the welfare of children is paramount and if they are taking part in part-time work opportunities, we need to ensure their needs are being met by employers and that children who do work are doing so safely.” “The Local Authority will work with businesses to confirm that they are complying with all the relevant legislation related to Child Employment. This can include visiting businesses across the Island to carry out checks on workplaces that may employ children of school age to make sure young people in part-time jobs are safe and working legally.” “This should not be seen as a barrier to offering young people part-time employment, the council will provide support and guidance to anyone who requires it.”
Councillor Jonathan Bacon, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education and Corporate Functions said:
“The Isle of Wight Council supports young people in their entry into the world of work.” “It is vital that the opportunities presented to young islanders are safe and legal. Familiarise yourself with the legislation and lead the way as a place of work that offers our young people the best start in their careers.”
If anyone suspects a young person is working illegally either by working more hours than is permitted for their age (or later than 19:00), or undertaking work that is not permitted, you can report it anonymously to the council, which will contact the employer to provide advice and support regarding child employment. For more details on child employment and to make an application for a work permit, visit the council’s website.
What a load of bureaucratic guff. A work permit? Jesus H. No wonder youngsters can’t get any experience or a couple of quid extra in their pocket. Nanny, nanny, nanny.
The permits are required to prevent kids being exploited.
But I guess that, back in your day, shoving kids up chimneys was the done thing.
Yer, terrible, they are so handy for sending up the chimneys or going down the pits. And so much cheaper than an adult. How am I going to buy my new rolls if I can’t replace my staff with kids in the summer.
the only purpose to the permits is to create a job for someone at the council, which also ensures a team of busy body, nanny state nosey parkers.
children between the ages of 13 and 16 have been working summer jobs etc for decades without issue, yet here we are, the nanny state finding more ways to steal more money from you to pay for the admin.
Every month should be ‘child employment awareness’ month, not just May. I tried complaining to the council ( about another matter) and no-one listened.. So my advice is don’t bother.
It is, more often than not, the third world type of employers who ‘use’ children in illegal employment. So can’t see a huge problem here unless at certain food establishments who use family members from such people.
Most truly British kids are glued to a screen rather than being gainfully employed, all a part of training for future life, when they become parents at puberty to gain a free house, and can carry on this sofa, virtual reality life, with others fund it all.
With labour to come to power, things will get very much worse as more benefits and attracting more dingy flotsam to jump onto the creaking bandwagon.
You must know very different kids to me. All the teens I know are very happy to earn a few quid in the holidays, or at weekends. And yes, they are British kids.
“Most truly British kids are glued to a screen”
Do you even know any kids??? If you did you would know that is not true and a stereo type pushed by tory rags.
They learn it from their parents…. hoards of them glued to their screens whilst walking their kids to school etc…
What about National Service Rishi as planned for them.
Dont worry,the tories are introducing permits for chimney sweeps under four years old!
All this red tape to discourage a work ethic. You might find shopkeepers exploiting their kids but we don’t send them up chimneys anymore if only because they are mostly too chubby
Far from helping kid’s into employment,this just complicates something simple. Will council be storing data and information on child without permission?. Will council be sharing with DWP ?. Council might be paying Housing Benefit to family and reduce this when income seen. Employer’s don’t want or need Council staff pockin noses in.. I pay kid down road to cut my grass, I won’t be getting no work permit. Like others have said it’s just burchratic so council can generate work and employment for more staff!. IOW is not Bradford or Manchester or third world.