30 young people employed at Southbank Centre thanks to Future Jobs Fund

This month Southbank Centre welcomed the new employees, aged between 18 and 24, into a range of positions from welcoming visitors to technical, marketing and administrative roles.

They will be in place for six months for 25 hours a week, during which time they will be given personalised training and support to improve their skills and boost their future employability.

The recruits will be mentored by SE1 United, Southbank Centre's youth forum in residence.

Southbank Centre, supported by cultural campaign group New Deal of the Mind, is the first arts organisation to successfully bid for employees under the Future Jobs Fund scheme.

The new positions form part of Southbank Centre's range of opportunities for young people and follow on from last summer's Udderbelly Training Academy.

Southbank Centre is taking part in the Future Jobs Fund initiative, run by the Department of Work and Pensions in partnership with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and Jobcentre Plus.

"Young people represent the future of the arts and creative industries, which is why we believe in putting them at the heart of our organisation," says artistic director Jude Kelly.

"Our Future Jobs Fund employees are an important strand of the range of opportunities for young people across our site and they help us stay in touch with new ideas.

"Our new recruits will be working to enhance the experience of our visitors and artists, whilst gaining skills and valuable work experience in a world class arts centre. We're delighted they've joined us."

The new recruits come from all over London and beyond.

Karina, 24, from Canary Wharf, will be joining the team of welcomers. She said: "I had been out of work for a while, so this offer of work from Southbank Centre was really exciting. The training has been brilliant and I can't wait to start showing off my new skills."

Simon is 23 and is interested in a career in Production. Based in Newcastle upon Tyne, he has made the move down to London to be able to take up the job. He said: "Jobs are hard to come by all over the country at the moment, so being given work and training in an industry I've always wanted to get into is incredible. I feel very lucky to be here in London doing such an interesting job."

Kavita, 22, a poet and university graduate from North London, hadn't been able to find a job since leaving full-time education. She has been employed to work in the Saison Poetry Library at the Royal Festival Hall. She said: "Having an opportunity to work in a creative environment like Southbank Centre is the best possible start to my career."