Scottish social enterprises will get £10m to train young unemployed people in their organisations thanks to a new version of the axed £1bn Future Jobs Fund.

Community Jobs Scotland, which will run throughout 2011-2012, will provide opportunities for up to 2,000 young people with the programme administered by the Scottish Social Enterprise Coalition (SSEC) and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO).

The coalition government scrapped the original Future Jobs Fund, which funded thousands of work placements for young people in England, Scotland and Wales, when it came into power last year.

SSEC chair Laurie Russell, also CEO of Scottish social enterprise The Wise Group, said: ‘We will work to make a difference both to young people, so they can experience working in social enterprises, and to regenerating communities across Scotland.

‘Although this funding is only for a year, if the programme is successful then we believe this approach should be part of the longer term government strategy for revitalising the Scottish economy.’

The Community Jobs Scotland model will follow the same pattern set by the original Future Jobs Fund, which was used by hundreds of social enterprises.

The funding will primarily support 16-24 year olds unemployed for six months or more into a job within a civil society sector organisation in their community. There will also be opportunities for older unemployed people in those areas where unemployment is highest.

Young people will get six-month contracts of 25 hours or more per week, for at least the minimum wage.

Participants will receive job related training and additional training tailored to help them enhance their general employability.

Social Enterprise is aware that in some Future Jobs Fund schemes the rate of moving people on into full-time employment was 65 per cent and higher.

Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney, who announced the measure on Friday, said: ‘This underlines our commitment of working with Scotland’s third sector to strengthen our communities.

‘By working with the third sector to deliver this initiative, and increasing core funding for the sector by 16 per cent to £24m in 2011-12, we are demonstrating that the Scottish government recognises the sector’s transformational potential and its important contribution to increasing sustainable economic growth.’