Communal employment charity Work Avenue has launched its first social enterprise scheme with the goal of training job-seekers in disciplines relevant to small business needs.

Wage (Work Avenue Generating Employment) will offer members subsidised training courses followed by paid work in the field they have chosen. They will also have the guidance and support of an experienced mentor.

The training and work placements will be in graphic design, IT/admin, digital marketing, web design, sales, customer service and bookkeeping.

Businesses will be able to call on the bank of trained Wage members to work on individual projects.

The hope is that those who sign up will gain the knowledge and experience to transition successfully to a permanent role.

Members can exit the scheme at any time, whether to take up a full-time post or to set up their own business. Once Wage businesses grow to the point that they can recruit full-time staff, they too will leave the scheme.

Seed funding has been provided by five trusts and foundations and the charity has sourced its first group of trainers to run courses from April. A virtual open evening is being held next week for those interested in finding out more.

Londoner David was among the first to sign up. He said he had “faced the same Catch-22 that Wage is addressing. I have some digital marketing skills and would like to use them in the workplace to get experience. But I can’t get this experience unless I secure some work.

“This training and subsequent work placement with small businesses will address this issue for me and help me to finally get back into paid employment.”